LOS  ANGELES 


LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

BY 

THOMAS  BABINGTON  MACAULAY. 
EDITED,  WITH  NOTES, 

BV 

WILLIAM  J.  ROLFE,  LITT.  D., 

AND 

JOHN  C.  ROLFE,  PH.D. 

WITH  ENGRAVINGS. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN      SQUARE. 
1888. 


ENGLISH     CLASSICS. 

EDITED  BY  WM.  J.  ROLFE,  A.M. 

Illustrated.     16010,  Cloth,  56  cents  per  volume:   Paper,  40  cents  per  volume. 


SHAKESHKARE'S  WORKS. 


The  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Othello. 

Julius  Cxsar. 

A  Midsummer-Night's  Dream. 

Macbeth. 

Hamlet. 

Much  Ado  about  Nothing. 

Romeo  and  Juliet. 

As  You  Like  It. 

The  Tempest. 

Twelfth  Night 

The  Winter's  Tale. 

King  John. 

Richard  II. 

H«nry  IV.     Part  I. 

Henry  IV.     Part  II. 

Henry  V. 

Richard  III. 

Henry  VIII. 

King  Lear. 


The  Taming  of  the  Shrew. 

All  's  Well  that  Ends  WelL 

Coriolanus. 

The  Comedy  of  Errors. 

Cymbeline. 

Antony  and  Cleopatra. 

Measure  for  Measure. 

Merry  Wives  of  Windsor. 

Love  s  Labour  's  Lost. 

Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona. 

Timon  of  Athens. 

Troilus  and  Cressida. 

Henry  VI.     Part  I. 

Henry  VI.     Part  II. 

Henry  VI.     Part  III. 

Pericles,  Prince  of  Tyre. 

The  Two  Noble  Kinsmen. 

Venus  and  Adonis,  Lucrece,  etc 

Sonnets. 

Titus  Andronicus. 


GOLDSMITH'S  SELECT  POEMS. 

GRAY'S  SELECT  POEMS. 

MINOR  POEMS  OF  JOHN  MILTON. 


BROWNING'S  SELECT  POEMS. 
BROWNING'S  SELECT  DRAMAS. 
MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 


PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 

Any  of  the  above  works  wiO  be  sent  by  mail,  postage  prepaid^  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States,  on  receipt  of  the  price. 


Copyright,  1888,  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 


1,2*8 

PREFACE. 


AT  the  request  of  the  publishers,  the  first  name  on  the  title-page  of 
this  book  is  that  of  the  editor  of  the  "  English  Classics"  series  in  which 
it  is  included  ;  but  the  better  part  of  the  work  has  been  done  by  his  son, 
John  C.  Rolfe,  teacher  of  Latin  in  the  Hughes  High  School,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  The  senior  editor  has  arranged  the  introduction,  compared  the 
text  with  the  English  editions  and  revised  its  punctuation,  and  helped  in 
seeing  the  book  through  the  press.  The  Notes  are  almost  entirely  the 
junior  editor's,  having  received  only  occasional  revision  in  minor  points 
at  the  hands  of  his  senior. 

The  editors  are  fully  agreed  in  the  opinion  that  parallel  reading  in 
English  should  accompany  the  study  of  Latin  in  our  high  schools  and 
academies,  where,  especially  in  the  preparatory  course  for  college,  so 
little  time  can  be  given  to  purely  literary  training.  For  such  reading 
Macaulay's  Lays  are  particularly  well-adapted,  both  on  account  of  their 
subjects  and  their  many  allusions  to  Roman  customs  and  habits,  and 
also,  to  our  thinking,  for  iheir  poetical  merit.  Certain  critics,  of  whom 
the  late  Matthew  Arnold  is  perhaps  the  most  noteworthy,  tell  us  that 
the  Lays  are  not  poetry;  but  in  this  instance  we  are  content  to  be  wrong 
with  John  Stuart  Mill  and  Henry  Morley  and  "Christopher  North"  (see 
pages  140,  143  below)  and  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman,  if  they  are  wrong, 
rather  than  to  be  right  with  Matthew  Arnold,  if  he  is  right.  Every  teacher 
who  has  used  the  Lays  with  his  classes  can  testify  that  boys  enjoy  them 
heartily.  They  have  long  been  a  part  of  the  curriculum  in  the  Boston 
Latin  School  and  other  of  our  best  preparatory  schools,  and  are  included 
in  the  English  reading  required  for  admission  to  Harvard  and  other  col- 
leges. No  doubt  they  would  have  been  more  generally  introduced  into 
schools  but  for  the  lack  of  an  annotated  edition.  As  Macaulay  says 
(page  29  below),  the  learned  reader  does  not  need  notes  on  the  Lays,  and 
for  the  unlearned  they  would  have  little  interest ;  but  the  schoolboy  needs 
them,  and  the  average  teacher  is  not  "learned"  enough  to  dispense  with 
them  in  all  cases.  In  preparing  the  present  volume  the  editors  have 


vi  PREFACE. 

repeatedly  been  compelled  to  hunt  up  for  themselves  allusions  on  which 
classical  instructors  and  professors  were  unable  to  give  them  help. 

The  Notes  being  mainly  intended  for  the  schoolboy,  the  quotations 
from  classical  authors  have  been  drawn  as  far  as  possible  from  those  read 
in  preparatory  schools.  Explanations  are  also  given  of  many  points  in 
ancient  geography,  history,  institutions,  manners,  etc.,  which,  even  if  the 
young  folk  have  already  learned  them  or  could  look  them  up  in  other 
books,  it  may  be  well  to  make  readily  accessible — if  only  as  a  review — 
in  connection  with  the  text  of  the  poems.  The  occasional  notes  on  Eng- 
lish etymology  are  intended  only  as  hints  to  teachers  who  are  not  already 
in  the  habit  of  letting  their  pupils  dig  a  little  among  vernacular  "  roots  " 
as  well  as  Greek  and  Latin  ones. 

W.J.  R. 

CAMBRIDGE,  May  15,  1888. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 9 

I.  THE  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE g 

II.  CRITICAL  COMMENTS  ON  THE  LAVS 30 

LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME 37 

IIORATIUS 39 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS 61 

VIRGINIA 88 

THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS 106 

NOTES 117 


ROMAN    SOLDIERS. 


THE   TIBEK. 


INTRODUCTION 

TO 

MACAULAY'S   LAYS   OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 


i.  THE  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

THAT  what  is  called  the  history  of  the  kings  and  early 
consuls  of  Rome  is  to  a  great  extent  fabulous,  few  scholars 
have,  since  the  time  of  Beaufort,  ventured  to  deny.  It  is  cer- 
tain that,  more  than  three  hundred  and  sixty  years  after  the 
date  ordinarily  assigned  for  the  foundation  of  the  city,  the 
public  records  were,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  destroyed  by 
the  Gauls.  It  is  certain  that  the  oldest  annals  of  the  com- 
monwealth were  compiled  more  than  a  century  and  a  half 
after  this  destruction  of  the  records.  It  is  certain,  therefore, 
that  the  great  Latin  writers  of  the  Augustan  age  did  not  pos- 
sess those  materials  without  which  a  trustworthy  account  of 
the  infancy  of  the  Republic  could  not  possibly  be  framed. 


I0  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Those  writers  own,  indeed,  that  the  chronicles  to  which  they 
had  access  were  filled  with  battles  that  were  never  fought 
and  consuls  that  were  never  inaugurated  ;  and  we  have  abun- 
dant proof  that,  in  these  chronicles,  events  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance— such  as  the  issue  of  the  war  with  Porsena,  and  the 
issue  of  the  war  with  Brennus — were  grossly  misrepresented. 
Under  these  circumstances,  a  wise  man  will  look  with  great 
suspicion  on  the  legend  which  has  come  down  to  us.  He  will, 
perhaps,  be  inclined  to  regard  the  princes  who  are  said  to 
have  founded  the  civil  and  religious  institutions  of  Rome,  the 
son  of  Mars  and  the  husband  of  Egeria,  as  mere  mythological 
personages,  of  the  same  class  with  Perseus  and  Ixion.  As 
he  draws  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  confines  of  authentic  his- 
tory, he  will  become  less  and  less  hard  of  belief.  He  will  ad- 
mit that  the  most  important  parts  of  the  narrative  have  some 
foundation  in  truth.  But  he  will  distrust  almost  all  the  de- 
tails, not  only  because  they  seldom  rest  on  any  solid  evidence, 
but  also  because  he  will  constantly  detect  in  them,  even  when 
they  are  within  the  limits  of  physical  possibility,  that  peculiar 
character,  more  easily  understood  than  defined,  which  distin- 
guishes the  creations  of  the  imagination  from  the  realities  of 
the  world  in  which  we  live. 

The  early  history  of  Rome  is  indeed  far  more  poetical  than 
anything  else  in.  Latin  literature.  The  loves  of  the  Vestal 
and  the  God  of  War;  the  cradle  laid  among  the  reeds  of  Ti- 
ber ;  the  fig-tree ;  the  she-wolf;  the  shepherd's  cabin ;  the 
recognition  ;  the  fratricide  ;  the  rape  of  the  Sabines ;  the  death 
of  Tarpeia ;  the  fall  of  Hostus  Hostilius ;  the  struggle  of 
Mettus  Curtius  through  the  marsh  ;  the  women  rushing  with 
torn  raiment  and  dishevelled  hair  between  their  fathers  and 
their  husbands;  the  nightly  meetings  of  Numa  and  the  Nymph 
by  the  well  in  the  sacred  grove  ;  the  fight  of  the  three  Ro- 
mans and  the  three  Albans;  the  purchase  of  the  Sibylline 
books  ;  the  crime  of  Tullia  ;  the  simulated  madness  of  Bru- 
tus ;  the  ambiguous  reply  of  the  Delphian  oracle  to  the  Tar- 


IN  TROD  UC  TION.  !  : 

quins  ;  the  wrongs  of  Lucretia ;  the  heroic  actions  of  Horatius 
Codes,  of  Scaevola,  and  of  Clcelia  ;  the  battle  of  Regillus,  won 
by  the  aid  of  Castor  and  Pollux ;  the  defence  of  Cremera ; 
the  touching  story  of  Coriolanus ;  the  still  more  touching 
story  of  Virginia  :  the  wild  legend  about  the  draining  of  the 
Alban  lake  ;  the  combat  between  Valerius  Corvus  and  the 
gigantic  Gaul — are  among  the  many  instances  which  will  at 
once  suggest  themselves  to  every  reader. 

In  the  narrative  of  Livy,  who  was  a  man  of  fine  imagina- 
tion, these  stories  retain  much  of  their  genuine  character. 
Nor  could  even  the  tasteless  Dionysius  distort  and  mutilate 
them  into  mere  prose.  The  poetry  shines,  in  spite  of  him, 
through  the  dreary  pedantry  of  his  eleven  books.  It  is  dis- 
cernible in  the  most  tedious  and  in  the  most  superficial  mod- 
ern works  on  the  early  times  of  Rome.  It  enlivens  the  dul- 
ness  of  the  Universal  History,  and  gives  a  charm  to  the  most 
meagre  abridgments  of  Goldsmith. 

Even  in  the  age  of  Plutarch  there  were  discerning  men 
who  rejected  the  popular  account  of  the  foundation  of  Rome, 
because  that  account  appeared  to  them  to  have  the  air,  not 
of  a  history,  but  of  a  romance  or  a  drama.  Plutarch,  who 
was  displeased  at  their  incredulity,  had  nothing  better  to  say 
in  reply  to  their  arguments  than  that  chance  sometimes  turns 
poet,  and  produces  trains  of  events  not  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  most  elaborate  plots  which  are  constructed  by  art.* 
But  though  the  existence  of  a  poetical  element  in  the  early 
history  of  the  Great  City  was  detected  so  many  ages  ago, 

*  "YVoTrrov  p.iv  iviois,  iari  TO  fpa^iartKuv  Kai  vXaafiarwli^  •  ov  £ti  fit 

(ITTlffTllv,     Tt}v    TV\t]V     Vp{ut>TCt£,    OIWV    It 0 It} /JOLT 111 V    ^IJfllOVpfOf    40TI.  Kom. 

viii.  This  remarkable  passage  has  been  more  grossly  misinterpreted 
than  any  other  in  the  Greek  language,  where  the  sense  was  so  obvious. 
The  Latin  version  of  Cruserius,  the  French  version  of  Amyot,  the  old 
English  version  by  several  hands  and  the  later  English  version  by  Lang- 
home  are  all  equally  destitute  of  every  trace  of  the  meaning  of  the  original. 
None  of  the  translators  saw  even  that  iroirjfia  is  a  poem.  They  all  ren- 
der it  an  event. 


I2  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

the  first  critic  who  distinctly  saw  from  what  source  that  poet- 
ical element  had  been  derived  was  James  Perizonius,  one  of 
the  most  acute  and  learned  antiquaries  of  the  seventeenth 
century.  His  theory,  which  in  his  own  days  attracted  little 
or  no  notice,  was  revived  in  the  present  generation  by  Nie- 
buhr,  a  man  who  would  have  been  the  first  writer  of  his  time 
if  his  talent  for  communicating  truths  had  borne  any  propor- 
tion to  his  talent  for  investigating  them.  That  theory  has 
been  adopted  by  several  eminent  scholars  of  our  own  coun- 
try, particularly  by  the  Bishop  of  St.  David's,  by  Professor 
Maiden,  and  by  the  lamented  Arnold.  It  appears  to  be  now 
generally  received  by  men  conversant  with  classical  antiquity  ; 
and,  indeed,  it  rests  on  such  strong  proofs,  both  internal  and 
external,  that  it  will  not  be  easily  subverted.  A  popular  ex- 
position of  this  theory,  and  of  the  evidence  by  which  it  is  sup- 
ported, may  not  be  without  interest  even  for  readers  who  are 
unacquainted  with  the  ancient  languages. 

The  Latin  literature  which  has  come  down  to.  us  is  of  later 
date  than  the  commencement  of  the  second  Punic  war,  and 
consists  almost  exclusively  of  works  fashioned  on  Greek  mod- 
els. The  Latin  metres,  heroic,  elegiac,  lyric,  and  dramatic, 
are  of  Greek  origin.  The  best  Latin  epic  poetry  is  the  feeble 
echo  of  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey.  The  best  Latin  eclogues  are 
imitations  of  Theocritus.  The  plan  of  the  most  finished  di- 
dactic poem  in  the  Latin  tongue  was  taken  from  Hesiod. 
The  Latin  tragedies  are  bad  copies  of  the  masterpieces  of 
Sophocles  and  Euripides.  The  Latin  comedies  are  free  trans- 
lations from  Demophilus,  Menander,  and  Apollodorus.  The 
Latin  philosophy  was  borrowed,  without  alteration,  from  the 
Portico  and  the  Academy;  and  the  great  Latin  orators  con- 
stantly proposed  to  themselves  as  patterns  the  speeches  of 
Demosthenes  and  Lysias. 

But  there  was  an  earlier  Latin  literature — a  literature  truly 
Latin — which  has  wholly  perished,  which  had,  indeed,  almost 
wholly  perished  long  before  those  whom  we  are  in  the  habit 


INTRODUCTION.  j-j 

of  regarding  as  the  greatest  Latin  writers  were  born.  That 
literature  abounded  with  metrical  romances,  such  as  are  found 
in  every  country  where'  there  is  much  curiosity  and  intelli- 
gence, but  little  reading  and  writing.  All  human  beings  not 
utterly  savage  long  for  some  information  about  past  times, 
and  are  delighted  by  narratives  which  present  pictures  to  the 
eye  of  the  mind.  But  it  is  only  in  very  enlightened  commu- 
nities that  books  are  readily  accessible.  Metrical  composi- 
tion, therefore,  which  in  a  highly  civilized  nation  is  a  mere 
luxury,  is  in  nations  imperfectly  civilized  almost  a  necessary 
of  life,  and  is  valued  less  on  accoupt  of  the  pleasure  which  it 
gives  to  the  ear  than  on  account  of  the  help  which  it  gives  to 
the  memory.  A  man  who  can  invent  or  embellish  an  inter- 
esting story,  and  put  it  into  a  form  which  others  may  easily 
retain  in  their  recollection,  will  always  be  highly  esteemed  by 
a  people  eager  for  amusement  and  information,  but  destitute 
of'libraries.  Such  is  the  origin  of  ballad-poetry,  a  species  of 
composition  which  scarcely  ever  fails  to  spring  up  and  flourish 
in  every  society  at  a  certain  point  in  the  progress  towards  re- 
finement. Tacitus  informs  us  that  songs  were  the  only  me- 
morials of  the  past  which  the  ancient  Germans  possessed. 
We  learn  from  Lucan  and  from  Ammianus  Marcellinus  that 
the  brave  actions  of  the  ancient  Gauls  were  commemorated 
in  the  verses  of  bards.  During  many  ages,  and  through  many 
revolutions,  minstrelsy  retained  its  influence  over  both  the 
Teutonic  and  the  Celtic  race.  The  vengeance  exacted  by  the 
spouse  of  Attila  for  the  murder  of  Siegfried  was  celebrated 
in  rhymes,  of  which  Germany  is  still  justly  proud.  The 
exploits  of  Athelstane  were  commemorated  by  the  Anglo- 
Saxons,  and  those  of  Canute  by  the  Danes,  in  rude  poems, 
of  which  a  few  fragments  have  come  down  to  us.  The  chants 
of  the  Welsh  harpers  preserved,  through  ages  of  darkness,  a 
faint  and  doubtful  memory  of  Arthur.  In  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland  may  still  be  gleaned  some  relics  of  the  old  songs 
about  Cuthullin  and  Fingal.  The  long  struggle  of  the  Ser- 


I4  MAC  A  f/LAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

vians  against  the  Ottoman  power  was  recorded  in  lays  full  of 
martial  spirit.  We  learn  from  Herrera  that,  when  a  Peruvian 
Inca  died,  men  of  skill  were  appointed  to  celebrate  him  in 
verses,  which  all  the  people  learned  by  heart  and  sang  in  pub- 
lic on  days  of  festival.  The  feats  of  Kurroglou,  the  great 
freebooter  of  Turkistan,  recounted  in  ballads  composed  by 
himself,  are  known  in  every  village  of  Northern  Persia. 
Captain  Beechey  heard  the  bards  of  the  Sandwich  Islands 
recite  the  heroic  achievements  of  Tamehameha,  the  most  il- 
lustrious of  their  kings.  Mungo  Park  found  in  the  heart  of 
Africa  a  class  of  singing-men,  the  only  annalists  of  their  rude 
tribes,  and  heard  them  tell  the  story  of  the  victory  which 
Darnel,  the  negro  prince  of  the  Jaloffs,  won  over  Abdulkader, 
the  Mussulman  tyrant  of  Foota  Torra.  This  species  of  poe- 
try attained  a  high  degree  of  excellence  among  the  Castilians 
before  they  began  to  copy  Tuscan  patterns.  It  attained  a 
still  higher  degree  of  excellence  among  the  English  and  the 
Lowland  Scotch  during  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  six- 
teenth centuries.  But  it  reached  its  full  perfection  in  ancient 
Greece ;  for  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  great  Homeric 
poems  are  generically  ballads,  though  widely  distinguished 
from  all  other  ballads,  and,  indeed,  from  almost  all  other  hu- 
man compositions,  by  transcendent  sublimity  and  beauty. 

As  it  is  agreeable  to  general  experience  that,  at  a  certain 
stage  in  the  progress  of  society,  ballad-poetry  should  flourish, 
so  is  it  also  agreeable  to  general  experience  that,  at  a  subse- 
quent stage  in  the  progress  of  society,  ballad-poetry  should 
be  undervalued  and  neglected.  Knowledge  advances  ;  man- 
ners change  ;  great  foreign  models  of  composition  are  studied 
and  imitated.  The  phraseology  of  the  old  minstrels  becomes 
obsolete.  Their  versification,  which,  having  received  its  laws 
only  from  the  ear,  abounds  in  irregularities,  seems  licentious 
and  uncouth.  Their  simplicity  appears  beggarly  when  com- 
pared with  the  quaint  forms  and  gaudy  coloring  of  such 
artists  as  Cowley  and  Gongora.  The  ancient  lays,  unjustly 


INTRODUCTION.  !5 

despised  by  the  learned  and  polite,  linger  for  a  time  in  the 
memory  of  the  vulgar,  and  are  at  length  too  often  irretriev- 
ably lost.  We  cannot  wonder  that  the  ballads  of  Rome 
should  have  altogether  disappeared,  when  we  remember  how 
very  narrowly,  in  spite  of  the  invention  of  printing,  those  of 
our  own  country  and  those  of  Spain  escaped  the  same  fate. 
There  is,  indeed,  little  doubt  that  oblivion  covers  many  Eng- 
lish songs  equal  to  any  that  were  published  by  Bishop  Percy, 
and  many  Spanish  songs  as  good  as  the  best  of  those  which 
have  been  so  happily  translated  by  Mr.  Lockhart.  Eighty 
years  ago,  England  possessed  only  one  tattered  copy  of  Childe 
Waters  and  Sir  Cauline,  and  Spain  only  one  tattered  copy  of 
the  noble  poem  of  The  Cid.  The  snuff  of  a  candle,  or  a  mis- 
chievous dog,  might,  in  a  moment,  have  deprived  the  world 
forever  of  any  of  those  fine  compositions.  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
who  united  to  the  fire  of  a  great  poet  the  minute  curiosity 
and  patient  diligence  of  a  great  antiquary,  was  but  just  in 
time  to  save  the  precious  relics  of  the  Minstrelsy  of  the  Bor- 
der. In  Germany,  the  Lay  of  the  Nibelungs  had  been  long 
utterly  forgotten,  when,  in  the  eighteenth  century,  it  was  for 
the  first  time  printed  from  a  manuscript  in  the  old  library 
of  a  noble  family.  In  truth,  the  only  people  who,  through 
their  whole  passage  from  simplicity  to  the  highest  civiliza- 
tion, never  for  a  moment  ceased  to  love  and  admire  their  old 
ballads  were  the  Greeks. 

That  the  early  Romans  should  have  had  ballad-poetry,  and 
that  this  poetry  should  have  perished,  is  therefore  not  strange. 
It  would,  on  the  contrary,  have  been  strange  if  these  things 
had  not  come  to  pass;  and  we  should  be  justified  in  pro- 
nouncing them  highly  probable  even  if  we  had  no  direct  evi- 
dence on  the  subject.  But  we  have  direct  evidence  of  un- 
questionable authority. 

Ennius,  who  flourished  in  the  time  of  the  second  Punic 
war,  was  regarded  in  the  Augustan  age  as  the  father  of  Latin 
poetry.  He  was,  in  truth,  the  father  of  the  second  school  of 


!  6  MAC  A  ULA  Y'S  LA  YS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Latin  poetry,  the  only  school  of  which  the  works  have  de- 
scended to  us.  But  from  Ennius  himself  we  learn  that  there 
were  poets  who  stood  to  him  in  the  same  relation  in  which 
the  author  of  the  romance  of  Count  Alarcos  stood  to  Garci- 
laso,  or  the  author  of  the  Lytell  Geste  of  Robyn  Hode  to 
Lord  Surrey.  Ennius  speaks  of  verses  which  the  Fauns  and 
the  bards  were  wont  to  chant  in  the  old  time,  when  none 
had  yet  studied  the  graces  of  speech,  when  none  had  yet 
climbed  the  peaks  sacred  to  the  goddesses  of  Grecian  song. 
"  Where,"  Cicero  mournfully  asks,  "  are  those  old  verses 
now?"* 

Contemporary  with  Ennius  was  Quintus  Fabius  Pictor,  the 
earliest  of  the  Roman  annalists.  His  account  of  the  infancy 
and  youth  of  Romulus  and  Remus  has  been  preserved  by 
Dionysius,  and  contains  a  very  remarkable  reference  to  the 
ancient  Latin  poetry.  Fabius  says  that,  in  his  time,  his  coun- 
trymen were  still  in  the  habit  of  singing  ballads  about  the 
Twins.  "  Even  in  the  hut  of  Faustulus  " — so  these  old  lays 
appear  to  have  run — "  the  children  of  Rhea  and  Mars  were, 
in  port  and  in  spirit,  not  like  unto  swineherds  or  cowherds, 

*       "Quid?    Nostri  versus  ubi  sunt? 

.  .  .  '  Quos  olim  Fauni  vatesque  canebant, 

Cum  neque  Musarum  scopulos  quisquam  superarat, 

Nee  dicti  studiosus  erat '  "  (Brutus,  xxii.). 

The  Muses,  it  should  be  observed,  are  Greek  divinities.  The  Italian 
goddesses  of  verse  were  the  Camcenae.  At  a  later  period,  the  appella- 
tions were  used  indiscriminately ;  but  in  the  age  of  Ennius  there  was 
probably  a  distinction.  In  the  epitaph  of  Naevius,  who  was  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  old  Italian  school  of  poetry,  the  Camoenae,  not  the  Muses, 
are  represented  as  grieving  for  the  loss  of  their  votary.  The  "  Musarum 
scopuli "  are  evidently  the  peaks  of  Parnassus. 

Scaliger,  in  a  note  on  Varro  (De  Lingua  Latina,  lib.  vi.),  suggests,  with 
great  ingenuity,  that  the  Fauns,  who  were  represented  by  the  supersti- 
tion of  later  ages  as  a  race  of  monsters,  half  gods  and  half  brutes,  may 
really  have  been  a  class  of  men  who  exercised  in  Latium,  at  a  very  re- 
mote period,  the  same  functions  which  belonged  to  the  Magians  in  Per- 
sia and  to  the  bards  in  Gaul. 


INTRODUCTION.  1  7 

but  such  that  men  might  well  guess  them  to  be  of  the  blood 
of  kins  and    ods."4 


*  Oi  Of  di>dpa>9ii>Ttg  yiVovrai,  Kara  re  a£iwoiv  fiopQris  Kai  <ppoviip.aToe 
UJKOV  ov  avotyopfioiQ  Kai  fiovKoXoig  ioiKortt;,  aXX'  o'iovg  av  rif  d£uioui 
roi'c;  tK  fiaotXfiov  rt  tyvvTag  ytvov<;,  Kai  ('nro  SeuftOVW  <nropai;  jtytaQai 
vofuZopivavft  <*>£  iv  ~<"C  irarpioic  l'/»'oic  VTTO  'Pttftautv  tri  Kai  vvv  ifdtrai 
(Dion.  Hal.  i.  79).  This  passage  has  sometimes  been  cited  as  if  Dio- 
nysius  had  been  speaking  in  his  own  person,  and  had,  Greek  as  he  was, 
been  so  industrious  or  so  fortunate  as  to  discover  some  valuable  remains 
of  that  early  Latin  poetry  which  the  greatest  Latin  writers  of  his  age  re- 
gretted as  hopelessly  lost.  Such  a  supposition  is  highly  improbable  ; 
and,  indeed,  it  seems  clear  from  the  context  that  Dionysius,  as  Reiske 
and  other  editors  evidently  thought,  was  merely  quoting  from  Fabius 
Pictor.  The  whole  passage  has  the  air  of  an  extract  from  an  ancient 
chronicle,  and  is  introduced  by  the  words  KoYvroc  ftiv  4>aj3ioc,  d  HiKTwp 


Another  argument  may  be  urged  which  seems  to  deserve  considera- 
tion. The  author  of  the  passage  in  question  mentions  a  thatched  hut 
which  in  his  time  stood  between  the  summit  of  Mount  Palatine  and  the 
Circus.  This  hut,  he  says,  was  built  by  Romulus,  and  was  constantly 
kept  in  repair  at  the  public  charge,  but  never  in  any  respect  embellished. 
Now,  in  the  age  of  Dionysius  there  certainly  was  at  Rome  a  thatched 
hut,  said  to  have  been  that  of  Romulus.  But  this  hut,  as  we  learn  from 
Vitruvius,  stood,  not  near  the  Circus,  but  in  the  Capitol  (Vit.  ii.  i).  If, 
therefore,  we  understand  Dionysius  to  speak  in  his  own  person,  we  can 
reconcile  his  statement  with  that  of  Vitruvius  only  by  supposing  that 
there  were  at  Rome,  in  the  Augustan  age,  two  thatched  huts,  both  be- 
lieved to  have  been  built  by  Romulus,  and  both  carefully  repaired  and 
held  in  high  honor.  The  objections  to  such  a  supposition  seem  to  be 
strong.  Neither  Dionysius  nor  Vitruvius  speaks  of  more  than  one  such 
hut.  Dio  Cassius  informs  us  that  twice,  during  the  long  administration 
of  Augustus,  the  hut  of  Romulus  caught  fire  (xlviii.  43,  liv.  29).  Had 
there  been  two  such  huts,  would  he  not  have  told  us  of  which  he  spoke? 
An  English  historian  would  hardly  give  an  account  of  a  fire  at  Queen's 
College  without  saying  whether  it  was  at  Queen's  College,  Oxford,  or  at 
Queen's  College,  Cambridge.  Marcus  Seneca,  Macrobius,  and  Conon,  a 
Greek  writer  from  whom  Photius  has  made  large  extracts,  mention  only 
one  hut  of  Romulus,  that  in  the  Capitol  (M.  Seneca,  Contr.  i.  6  ;  Macro- 
bius, Sat.  i.  15  ;  Photius,  Bil'l.  186).  Ovid,  Livy,  Petronius,  Valerius  Max- 
imus,  Lucius  Seneca,  and  St.  Jerome  mention  only  one  hut  of  Romulus, 
without  specifying  the  site  (Ovid,  Fasti,  iii.  183  ;  Liv.  v.  53  ;  Petronius, 
2 


iS  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Cato  the  Censor,  who  also  lived  in  the  days  of  the  second 
Punic  war,  mentioned  this  lost  literature  in  his  lost  work  on 
the  antiquities  of  his  country.  Many  ages,  he  said,  before  his 
time,  there  were  ballads  in  praise  of  illustrious  men  ;  and 
these  ballads  it  was  the  fashion  for  the  guests  at  banquets 
to  sing  in  turn  while  the  piper  played.  "  Would,"  exclaims 
Cicero,  "  that  we  still  had  the  old  ballads  of  which  Cato 
speaks  !"* 

Valerius  Maximus  gives  us  exactly  similar  information, 
without  mentioning  his  authority,  and  observes  that  the  an- 
cient Roman  ballads  were  probably  of  more  benefit  to  the 

Fragm. ;  Val.  Max.  iv.  4 ;  L.  Seneca,  Coiisolatio  ad  Helviam  ;  D.  Hieron. 
Ad  Piiuliniiiiium  de  Didymo). 

The  whole  difficulty  is  removed  if  we  suppose  that  Dionysius  was 
merely  quoting  Fabius  Pictor.  Nothing  is  more  probable  than  that  the 
cabin  which,  in  the  time  of  Fabius,  stood  near  the  Circus,  might,  long 
before  the  age  of  Augustus,  have  been  transported  to  the  Capitol,  as  the 
place  fittest,  by  reason  both  of  its  safety  and  of  its  sanctity,  to  contain  so 
precious  a  relic. 

The  language  of  Plutarch  confirms  this  hypothesis.  He  describes 
with  great  precision  the  spot  where  Romulus  dwelt,  on  the  slope  of 
Mount  Palatine,  leading  to  the  Circus  ;  but  he  says  not  a  word  implying 
that  the  dwelling  was  still  to  be  seen  there.  Indeed,  his  expressions  im- 
ply that  it  was  no  longer  there.  The  evidence  of  Solinus  is  still  more  to 
the  point.  He,  like  Plutarch,  describes  the  spot  where  Romulus  had  re- 
sided, and  says  expressly  that  the  hut  had  been  there,  but  that  in  his 
time  it  was  there  no  longer.  The  site,  it  is  certain,  was  well  remem- 
bered ;  and  probably  retained  its  old  name,  as  Charing  Cross  and  the 
Haymarket  have  done.  This  is  probably  the  explanation  of  the  words 
"  casa  Romuli  "  in  Victor's  description  of  the  Tenth  Region  of  Rome  un- 
der Valentinian. 

*  Cicero  refers  twice  to  this  important  passage  in  Cato's  Antiquities  : 
"  Gravissimus  auctor  in  Originibus  dixit  Cato,  morem  apud  majores  hunc 
epularum  fuisse,  ut  deinceps,  qui  accubarent,  canerent  ad  tibiam  clarorum 
virorum  laudes  atque  virtutes.  Ex  quo  perspicuum  est,  et  cantus  turn 
fuisse  rescriptos  vocum  sonis,  et  carmina  "  (Tnsc.  Quaest.  iv.  2).  Again  : 
"  Utinam  exstarent  ilia  carmina,  quae,  multis  saeculis  ante  suam  aetatem, 
in  epulis  esse  cantitata  a  singulis  convivis  de  clarorum  virorum  laudibuS; 
in  Originibus  scriptum  reliquit  Cato"  (Brutus,  xi.x.)- 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

young  than  all  the  lectures  of  the  Athenian  schools,  and  that 
to  the  influence  of  the  national  poetry  were  to  be  ascribed  the 
virtues  of  such  men  as  Camillus  and  Fabricius.* 

Varro,  whose  authority  on  all  questions  connected  with  the 
antiquities  of  his  country  is  entitled  to  the  greatest  respect, 
tells  us  that  at  banquets  it  was  once  the  fashion  for  boys  to 
sing,  sometimes  with  and  sometimes  without  instrumental 
music,  ancient  ballads  in  praise  of  men  of  former  times. 
These  young  performers,  he  observes,  were  of  unblemished 
character,  a  circumstance  which  he  probably  mentioned  be- 
cause, among  the  Greeks,  and  indeed  in  his  time  among  the 
Romans  also,  the  morals  of  singing-boys  were  in  no  high  re- 
pute.t 

The  testimony  of  Horace,  though  given  incidentally,  con- 
firms the  statements  of  Cato,  Valerius  Maximus,  and  Varro. 
The  poet  predicts  that,  under  the  peaceful  administration  of 
Augustus,  the  Romans  will,  over  their  full  goblets,  sing  to  the 
pipe,  after  the  fashion  of  their  fathers,  the  deeds  of  brave 
captains  and  the  ancient  legends  touching  the  origin  of  the 
city.t 

The  proposition,  then,  that  Rome  had  ballad-poetry  is  not 

*  "  Mnjores  natu  in  conviviis  ad  tibias  egregia  superiorum  opera  car- 
mine comprehensa  pangebant,  quo  ad  ea  imitanda  juventutem  alacriotem 
redderent.  .  .  .  Quas  Athenas,  quam  scholam,  quae  alienigena  studia  huic 
domesticae  disciplinae  praetulerim  ?  Inde  oriebantur  Camilli,  Scipiones, 
Fahricii,  Marcelli,  Fabii  "(Val.  Max.  ii.  i). 

t  "  In  conviviis  pueri  modesti  ut  cantarent  carmina  antiqua,  in  quibus 
laudes  erant  majorum,  et  assa  voce,  et  cum  tibicine "  (Nonius,  Assa 
voce  pro  sola). 

\  "  Nosque  et  profestis  lucibus  et  sacris 

Inter  jocosi  munere  Liberi, 

Cum  prole  matronisque  nostris, 

Rite  deos  prius  apprecati, 
Virtute  functos,  more  patrum,  duces, 
Lydis  remixto  carmine  tibiis, 
Trojamque  et  Anchisen  et  almae 

I'rogeniem  Veneris  canemua  "  (Carm.  iv.  15). 


20  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

merely  in  itself  highly  probable,  but  is  fully  proved  by  direct 
evidence  of  the  greatest  weight. 

This  proposition  being  established,  it  becomes  easy  to  un- 
derstand why  the  early  history  of  the  city  is  unlike  almost 
everything  else  in  Latin  literature,  native  where  almost  every- 
thing else  is  borrowed,  imaginative  where  almost  everything 
else  is  prosaic.  We  can  scarcely  hesitate  to  pronounce  that 
the  magnificent,  pathetic,  and  truly  national  legends  which 
present  so  striking  a  contrast  to  all  that  surrounds  them  are 
broken  and  defaced  fragments  of  that  early  poetry  which, 
even  in  the  age  of  Cato  the  Censor,  had  become  antiquated, 
and  of  which  Tully  had  never  heard  a  line. 

That  this  poetry  should  4iave  been  suffered  to  perish  will 
not  appear  strange  when  we  consider  how  complete  was  the 
triumph  of  the  Greek  genius  over  the  public  mind  of  Italy. 
It  is  probable  that  at  an  early  period  Homer  and  Herodotus 
furnished  some  hints  to  the  Latin  minstrels;*  but  it  was  not 
till  after  the  war  with  Pyrrhus  that  the  poetry  of  Rome  be- 
gan to  put  off  its  old  Ausonian  character.  The  transforma- 
tion was  soon  consummated.  The  conquered,  says  Horace, 
led  captive  the  conquerors.  It  was  precisely  at  the  time  at 
which  the  Roman  people  rose  to  unrivalled  political  ascend- 
ency that  they  stooped  to  pass  under  the  intellectual  yoke. 
It  was  precisely  at  the  time  at  which  the  sceptre  departed 
from  Greece  that  the  empire  of  her  language  and  of  her  arts 
became  universal  and  despotic.  The  revolution,  indeed,  was 
not  effected  without  a  struggle.  Neevius  seems  to  have  been 
the  last  of  the  ancient  line  of  poets.  Ennius  was  the  founder 
of  a  new  dynasty.  Naevius  celebrated  the  first  Punic  war 
in  Saturnian  verse,  the  old  national  verse  of  Italy,  f  Ennius 
sang  the  second  Punic  war  in  numbers  borrowed  from  the 
Iliad.  The  elder  poet,  in  the  epitaph  which  he  wrote  for  him- 

*  See  the  Preface  to  the  Lay  of  the  Battle  of  Rcgillus.   ' 
t  Cicero  speaks  highly,  in  more  than  one  place,  of  this  poem  of  Naevius; 
Ennius  sneered  at  it,  and  stole  from  it. 


IN  TROD  UC  TION.  2 1 

self,  and  which  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the  early  Roman  diction 
and  versification,  plaintively  boasted  that  the  Latin  language 

As  to  the  Saturnian  measure,  see  Hermann's  Elementa  Doctrinal  Me- 
tricae,  iii.  9. 

The  Saturnian  line,  according  to  the  grammarians,  consisted  of  two 
parts.  The  first  was  a  catalectic  dimeter  iambic  ;  the  second  was  com- 
posed of  three  trochees.  But  the  license  taken  by  the  early  Latin  poets 
seems  to  have  been  almost  boundless.  The  most  perfect  Saturnian  line 
which  has  been  preserved  was  the  work,  not  of  a  professional  artist,  but 

of  an  amateur: 

"Dabunt  malum  Metelli  Naevio  poetae." 

There  has  been  much  difference  of  opinion  among  learned  men  respect- 
ing the  history  of  this  measure.  That  it  is  the  same  with  a  Greek  meas- 
ure used  by  Archilochus  is  indisputable  (Bentley,  Phalaris,  xi.).  But  in 
spite  of  the  authority  of  Terentianus  Maurus,  and  of  the  still  higher  au- 
thority of  Bentley,  we  may  venture  to  doubt  whether  the  coincidence  was 
not  fortuitous.  We  constantly  find  the  same  rude  and  simple  numbers 
in  different  countries,  under  circumstances  which  make  it  impossible  to 
suspect  that  there  has  been  imitation  on  either  side.  Bishop  Heber  heard 
the  children  of  a  village  in  Bengal  singing  "  Radha,  Radha,"  to  the  tune 
of  "  My  boy  Billy."  Neither  the  Castilian  nor  the  German  minstrels  of 
the  Middle  Ages  owed  anything  to  Paros  or  to  ancient  Rome.  Yet  both 
the  poem  of  the  Cid  and  the  poem  of  the  Nibelungs  contain  many  Satur- 
nian verses ;  as, 

"  Kstas  nuevas  a  mio  Cid  eran  venidas. " 

"A  m£  lo  dicen  ;   a  tf  dan  las  orejadas-" 
"  Man  mohte  michel  wunder  von  Sifride  sagen." 
"Wa  icli  den  Kiinic  vinde  daz  sol  man  mir  sagen." 

Indeed,  there  cannot  be  a  more  perfect  Saturnian  line  than  one  which  is 
sung  in  every  English  nursery  : 

"The  queen  was  in  her  parlor  eating  bread  and  honey;" 

yet  the  author  of  this  line,  we  may  be  assured,  borrowed  nothing  from 
either  Naevius  or  Archilochus. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  by  no  means  improbable  that,  two  or  three 
hundred  years  before  the  time  of  Ennius,  some  Latin  minstrel  may  have 
visited  Sybaris  or  Crotona,  may  have  heard  some  verses  of  Archilochus 
sung,  may  have  been  pleased  with  the  metre,  and  may  have  introduced 
it  at  Rome.  Thus  much  is  certain,  that  the  Saturnian  measure,  if  not  a 
native  of  Italy,  was  at  least  so  early  and  so  completely  naturalized  there 
that  its  foreign  origin  was  forgotten. 


22  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIEKT  ROME. 

had  died  with  him.*  Thus  what  to  Horace  appeared  to  be 
the  first  faint  dawn  of  Roman  literature  appeared  to  Naevius 
to  be  its  hopeless  setting.  In  truth,  one  literature  was  set- 
ting and  another  dawning. 

Bentley  says,  indeed,  that  the  Saturnian  measure  was  first  brought  from 
Greece  into  Italy  by  Naevius.  But  this  is  merely  obiter  dictum,  to  use  a 
phrase  common  in  our  courts  of  law,  and  would  not  have  been  deliber- 
ately maintained  by  that  incomparable  critic,  whose  memory  is  held  in 
reverence  by  all  lovers  of  learning.  The  arguments  which  might  be 
brought  against  Bentley's  assertion — for  it  is  mere  assertion,  supported 
by  no  evidence — are  innumerable.  A  few  will  suffice. 

1.  Bentley's  assertion  is  opposed  to  the  testimony  of  Ennius.     Ennius 
sneered  at  Naevius  for  writing  on  the  first  Punic  war  in  verses  such  as  the 
old  Italian  bards  used  before  Greek  literature  had  been  studied.     Now 
the  poem  of  Naevius  was  in  Saturnian  verse.     Is  it  possible  that  Ennius 
could  have  used  such  expressions  if  the  Saturnian  verse  had  been  just 
imported  from  Greece  for  the  first  time  ? 

2.  Bentley's  assertion  is  opposed  to  the  testimony  of  Horace.     "  When 
Greece,"  says  Horace,  "  introduced  her  arts  into  our  uncivilized  country, 
those  rugged  Saturnian  numbers  passed  away."     Would  Horace  have 
said  this  if  the  Saturnian  numbers  had  been  imported  from  Greece  just 
before  the  hexameter  ? 

3.  Bentley's  assertion  is  opposed  to  the  testimony  of  Festus  and  of 
Aurelius  Victor,  both  of  whom  positively  say  that  the  most  ancient 
prophecies  attributed  to  the  Fauns  were  in  Saturnian  verse. 

4.  Bentley's  assertion  is  opposed  to  the  testimony  of  Terentianus  Mau- 
rus,  to  whom  he  has  himself  appealed.     Terentianus  Maurus  does  indeed 
say  that  the  Saturnian  measure,  though  believed  by  the  Romans  from  a 
very  early  period  ("  credidit  vetustas  ")  to  be  of  Italian  invention,  was 
really  borrowed  from  the  Greeks.     But  Terentianus  Maurus  does  not  say 
that  it  was  first  borrowed  by  Naevius.     Nay,  the  expressions  used  by  Te- 
rentianus Maurus  clearly  imply  the  contrary ;  for  how  could  the  Romans 
have  believed,  from  a  very  early  period,  that  this  measure  was  the  indig- 
enous production  of  Latium  if  it  was  really  brought  over  from  Greece  in 
an  age  of  intelligence  and  liberal  curiosity,  in  the  age  which  gave  birth 
to  Ennius,  Plautus,  Cato  the  Censor,  and  other  distinguished  writers  ?    If 
Bentley's  assertion  were  correct,  there  could  have  been  no  more  doubt  at 
Rome  about  the  Greek  origin  of  the  Saturnian  measure  than  about  the 
Greek  origin  of  hexameters  or  Sapphics. 

*  Aulus  Gellius,  Noctes  Atticae,  i.  24. 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

The  victory  of  the  foreign  taste  was  decisive  ;  and,  indeed, 
we  can  hardly  blame  the  Romans  for  turning  away  with  con- 
tempt from  the  rude  lays  which  had  delighted  their  fathers, 
and  giving  their  whole  admiration  to  the  immortal  produc- 
tions of  Greece.  The  national  romances,  neglected  by  the 
great  and  the  refined  whose  education  had  been  finished  at 
Rhodes  or  Athens,  continued,  it  may  be  supposed,  during 
some  generations  to  delight  the  vulgar.  While  Virgil,  in 
hexameters  of  exquisite  modulation,  described  the  sports  of 
rustics,  those  rustics  were  still  singing  their  wild  Saturnian 
ballads.*  It  is  not  improbable  that,  at  the  time  when  Cicero 
lamented  the  irreparable  loss  of  the  poems  mentioned  by 
Cato,  a  search  among  the  nooks  of  the  Apennines  as  active 
as  the  search  which  Sir  Walter  Scott  made  among  the  de- 
scendants of  the  moss-troopers  of  Liddesdale  might  have 
brought  to  light  many  fine  remains  of  ancient  minstrelsy. 
No  such  search  was  made.  The  Latin  ballads  perished  for- 
ever. Yet  discerning  critics  have  thought  that  they  could 
still  perceive  in  the  early  history  of  Rome  numerous  frag- 
ments of  this  lost  poetry,  as  the  traveller  on  classic  ground 
sometimes  finds,  built  into  the  heavy  wall  of  a  fort  or  con- 
vent, a  pillar  rich  with  acanthus  leaves  or  a  frieze  where 
the  Amazons  and  Bacchanals  seem  to  live.  The  theatres 
and  temples  of  the  Greek  and  the  Roman  were  degraded 
into  the  quarries  of  the  Turk  and  the  Goth.  Even  so  did 
the  ancient  Saturnian  poetry  become  the  quarry  in  which  a 
crowd  of  orators  and  annalists  found  the  materials  for  their 
prose. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  trace  the  process  by  which  the  old 
songs  were  transmuted  into  the  form  which  they  now  wear. 
Funeral  panegyric  and  chronicle  appear  to  have  been  the 
intermediate  links  which  connected  the  lost  ballads  with  the 
histories  now  extant.  From  a  very  early  period  it  was  the 
usage  that  an  oration  should  be  pronounced  over  the  remains 
*  See  Servius,  /'//  Georg.  ii.  385. 


24  MACAULAVS  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

of  a  noble  Roman.  The  orator,  as  we  learn  from  Polybius, 
was  expected,  on  such  an  occasion,  to  recapitulate  all  the 
services  which  the  ancestors  of  the  deceased  had,  from  the 
earliest  time,  rendered  to  the  commonwealth.  There  can 
be  little  doubt  that  the  speaker  on  whom  this  duty  was  im- 
posed would  make  use  of  all  the  stories  suited  to  his  pur- 
pose which  were  to  be  found  in  the  popular  lays.  There 
can  be  as  little  doubt  that  the  family  of  an  eminent  man 
would  preserve  a  copy  of  the  speech  which  had  been  pro- 
nounced over  his  corpse.  The  compilers  of  the  early  chron- 
icles would  have  recourse  to  these  speeches  ;  and  the  great 
historians  of  a  later  period  would  have  recourse  to  the  chron- 
icles. 

It  may  be  worth  while  to  select  a  particular  story,  and  to 
trace  its  probable  progress  through  these  stages.  The  de- 
scription of  the  migration  of  the  Fabian  house  to  Cremera  is 
one  of  the  finest  of  the  many  fine  passages  which  lie  thick  in 
the  earlier  books  of  Livy.  The  Consul,  clad  in  his  military 
garb,  stands  in  the  vestibule  of  his  house,  marshalling  his 
clan,  three  hundred  and  six  fighting-men,  all  of  the  same 
proud  patrician  blood,  all  worthy  to  be  attended  by  the  fasces 
and  to  command  the  legions.  A  sad  and  anxious  retinue  of 
friends  accompanies  the  adventurers  through  the  streets ; 
but  the  voice  of  lamentation  is  drowned  by  the  shouts  of  ad- 
miring thousands.  As  the  procession  passes  the  Capitol, 
prayers  and  vows  are  poured  forth,  but  in  vain.  The  de- 
voted band,  leaving  Janus  on  the  right,  marches  to  its  doom, 
through  the  Gate  of  Evil  Luck.  After  achieving  high  deeds 
of  valor  against  overwhelming  numbers,  all  perish  save  one 
child,  the  stock  from  which  the  great  Fabian  race  was  des- 
tined again  to  spring,  for  the  safety  and  glory  of  the  com- 
monwealth. That  this  fine  romance,  the  details  of  which  are 
so  full  of  poetical  truth,  and  so  utterly  destitute  of  all  show 
of  historical  truth,  came  originally  from  some  lay  which  had 
often  been  sung  with  great  applause  at  banquets  is  in  the 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

highest  degree  probable.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  imagine  a 
mode  in  which  the  transmission  might  have  taken  place.  The 
celebrated  Quintus  Fabius  Maximus,  who  died  about  twenty 
years  before  the  first  Punic  war,  and  more  than  forty  years 
before  Ennius  was  born,  is  said  to  have  been  interred  with 
extraordinary  pomp.  In  the  eulogy  pronounced  over  his 
body,  all  the  great  exploits  of  his  ancestors  were  doubtless 
recounted  and  exaggerated.  If  there  were  then  extant  songs 
which  gave  a  vivid  and  touching  description  of  an  event,  the 
saddest  and  the  most  glorious  in  the  long  history  of  the  Fa- 
bian house,  nothing  could  be  more  natural  than  that  the  pan- 
egyrist should  borrow  from  such  songs  their  finest  touches, 
in  order  to  adorn  his  speech.  A  few  generations  later  the 
songs  would  perhaps  be  forgotten,  or  remembered  only  by 
shepherds  and  vine-dressers.  But  the  speech  would  cer- 
tainly be  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Fabian  nobles. 
Fabius  Pictor  would  be  well  acquainted  with  a  document  so 
interesting  to  his  personal  feelings,  and  would  insert  large 
extracts  from  it  in  his  rude  chronicle.  That  chronicle,  as  we 
know,  was  the  oldest  to  which  Livy  had  access.  Livy  would, 
at  a  glance,  distinguish  the  bold  strokes  of  the  forgotten  poet 
from  the  dull  and  feeble  narrative  by  which  they  were  sur- 
rounded, would  retouch  them  with  a  delicate  and  powerful 
pencil,  and  would  make  them  immortal. 

That  this  might  happen  at  Rome  can  scarcely  be  doubted  ; 
for  something  very  like  this  has  happened  in  several  coun- 
tries, and,  among  others,  in  our  own.  Perhaps  the  theory  of 
Perizonius  cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  showing  that 
what  he  supposes  to  have  taken  place  in  ancient  times  has, 
beyond  all  doubt,  taken  place  in  modern  times. 

"  History,"  says  Hume,  with  the  utmost  gravity,  "  has  pre- 
served some  instances  of  Edgar's  amours,  from  which,  as  from 
a  specimen,  we  may  form  a  conjecture  of  the  rest."  He 
then  tells  very  agreeably  the  stories  of  Elfleda  and  Elfrida, 
two  stories  which  have  a  most  suspicious  air  of  romance, 


26  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

and  which,  indeed,  greatly  resemble,  in  their  general  charac- 
ter, some  of  the  legends  of  early  Rome.  He  cites,  as  his 
authority  for  these  two  tales,  the  chronicle  of  William  of 
Malmesbury,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  King  Stephen.  The 
great  majority  of  readers  suppose  that  the  device  by  which 
Elfleda  was  substituted  for  her  young  mistress,  the  artifice 
by  which  Athelwold  obtained  the  hand  of  Elfrida,  the  detec- 
tion of  that  artifice,  the  hunting-party,  and  the  vengeance  of 
the  amorous  king,  are  things  about  which  there  is  no  more 
doubt  than  about  the  execution  of  Anne  Boleyn  or  the  slit- 
ting of  Sir  John  Coventry's  nose.  But  when  we  turn  to 
William  of  Malmesbury,  we  find  that  Hume,  in  his  eager- 
ness to  relate  these  pleasant  fables,  has  overlooked  one  very 
important  circumstance.  William  does,  indeed,  tell  both  the 
stories  ;  but  he  gives  us  distinct  notice  that  he  does  not  war- 
rant their  truth,  and  that  they  rest  on  no  better  authority 
than  that  of  ballads.* 

Such  is  the  way  in  which  these  two  well-known  tales  have 
been  handed  down.  They  originally  appeared  in  a  poetical 
form.  They  found  their  way  from  ballads  into  an  old  chron- 
icle. The  ballads  perished ;  the  chronicle  remained.  A  great 
historian,  some  centuries  after  the  ballads  had  been  alto- 
gether forgotten,  consulted  the  chronicle.  He  was  struck  by 
the  lively  coloring  of  these  ancient  fictions ;  he  transferred 
them  to  his  pages ;  and  thus  we  find  inserted,  as  unquestion- 
able facts,  in  a  narrative  which  is  likely  to  last  as  long  as 
the  English  tongue,  the  inventions  of  some  minstrel  whose 
works  were  probably  never  committed  to  writing,  whose 
name  is  buried  in  oblivion,  and  whose  dialect  has  become 
obsolete.  It  must,  then,  be  admitted  to  be  possible,  or,  rath- 
er, highly  probable,  that  the  stories  of  Romulus  and  Remus, 

"  Infamias  quas  post  dicam  magis  resperserunt  cantilenae."  Edgar 
appears  to  have  been  most  mercilessly  treated  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  bal- 
lads. He  was  the  favorite  of  the  monks ;  and  the  monks  and  minstrels 
were  at  deadly  feud. 


INTRODUCTION. 


27 


and  of  the  Horatii  and  Curiatii,  may  have  had  a  similar 
origin. 

Castilian  literature  will  furnish  us  with  another  parallel 
case.  Mariana,  the  classical  historian  of  Spain,  tejls  the 
story  of  the  ill-starred  marriage  which  the  King  Don  Alonso 
brought  about  between  the  heirs  of  Carrion  and  the  two 
daughters  of  the  Cid.  The  Cid  bestowed  a  princely  dower 
on  his  sons-in-law.  But  the  young  men  were  base  and  proud, 
cowardly  and  cruel.  They  were  tried  in  danger,  and  found 
wanting.  They  fled  before  the  Moors,  and  once,  when  a  lion 
broke  out  of  his  den,  they  ran  and  crouched  in  an  unseemly 
hiding-place.  They  knew  that  they  were  despised,  and  took 
counsel  how  they  might  be  avenged.  They  parted  from  their 
father-in-law  with  many  signs  of  love,  and  set  forth  on  a  jour- 
ney with  Dona  Elvira  and  Dona  Sol.  In  a  solitary  place 
the  bridegrooms  seized  their  brides,  stripped  them,  scourged 
them,  and  departed,  leaving  them  for  dead.  But  one  of  the 
House  of  Bivar,  suspecting  foul  play,  had  followed  the  trav- 
ellers in  disguise.  The  ladies  were  brought  back  safe  to  the 
house  of  their  father.  Complaint  was  made  to  the  king.  It 
was  adjudged  by  the  Cortes  that  the  dower  given  by  the  Cid 
should  be  returned,  and  that  the  heirs  of  Carrion,  together 
with  one  of  their  kindred,  should  do  battle  against  three 
knights  of  the  party  of  the  Cid.  The  guilty  youths  would 
have  declined  the  combat ;  but  all  their  shifts  were  vain. 
They  were  vanquished  in  the  lists  and  forever  disgraced, 
while  their  injured  wives  were  sought  in  marriage  by  great 
princes.* 

Some  Spanish  writers  have  labored  to  show,  by  an  exam- 
ination of  dates  and  circumstances,  that  this  story  is  untrue. 
Such  confutation  was  surely  not  needed ;  for  the  narrative  is 
on  the  face  of  it  a  romance.  How  it  found  its  way  into  Ma- 
riana's history  is  quite  clear.  He  acknowledges  his  obliga- 
tions to  the  ancient  chronicles,  and  had  doubtless  before 
*  Mariana,  lib.  x.  cap.  4. 


2 8  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

him  the  Crbnica  del  Famoso  Cavallero  Cid  Ruy  Diez  Cam- 
peador,  which  had  been  printed  as  early  as  the  year  1552. 
He  little  suspected  that  all  the  most  striking  passages  in 
this  chronicle  were  copied  from  a  poem  of  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury, a  poem  of  which  the  language  and  versification  had  long 
been  obsolete,  but  which  glowed  with  no  common  portion 
of  the  fire  of  the  Iliad.  Yet  such  was  the  fact.  More  than 
a  century  and  a  half  after  the  death  of  Mariana,  this  vener- 
able ballad,  of  which  one  imperfect  copy  on  parchment,  four 
hundred  years  old,  had  been  preserved  at  Bivar,  was  for  the 
first  time  printed.  Then  it  was  found  that  every  interesting 
circumstance  of  the  story  of  the  heirs  of  Carrion  was  derived 
by  the  eloquent  Jesuit  from  a  song  of  which  he  had  never 
heard,  and  which  was  composed  by  a  minstrel  whose  very 
name  had  long  been  forgotten.* 

Such,  or  nearly  such,  appears  to  have  been  the  process  by 
which  the  lost  ballad-poetry  of  Rome  was  transformed  into 
history.  To  reverse  that  process,  to  transform  some  portions 
of  early  Roman  history  back  into  the  poetry  out  of  which  they 
were  made,  is  the  object  of  this  work. 

In  the  following  poems  the  author  speaks,  not  in  his  own 
person,  but  in  the  persons  of  ancient  minstrels  who  know 
only  what  a  Roman  citizen,  born  three  or  four  hundred  years 
before  the  Christian  era,  may  be  supposed  to  have  known, 
and  who  are  in  no  wise  above  the  passions  and  prejudices  of 
their  age  and  nation.  To  these  imaginary  poets  must  be  as- 
cribed some  blunders  which  are  so  obvious  that  it  is  unneces- 
sary to  point  them  out.  The  real  blunder  would  have  been 
to  represent  these  old  poets  as  deeply  versed  in  general  his- 
tory and  studious  of  chronological  accuracy.  To  them  must 
also  be  attributed  the  illiberal  sneers  at  the  Greeks,  the  furi- 

*  See  the  account  which  Sanchez  gives  of  the  Bivar  manuscript  in  the 
first  volume  of  the  Coleccion  de  Poestas  Castellanas  anteriores  al  Siglo  XV. 
Part  of  the  story  of  the  Lords  of  Carrion,  in  the  poem  of  the  Cid,  has 
been  translated  by  Mr.  Frere  in  a  manner  above  all  praise. 


INTRODUCTION. 


29 


ous  party-spirit,  the  contempt  for  the  arts  of  peace,  the  love 
of  war  for  its  own  sake,  the  ungenerous  exultation  over  the 
vanquished,  which  the  reader  will  sometimes  observe.  To 
portray  a  Roman  of  the  age  of  Camillus  or  Curius  as  supe- 
rior to  national  antipathies,  as  mourning  over  the  devastation 
and  slaughter  by  which  empire  and  triumphs  were  to  be  won, 
as  looking  on  human  suffering  with  the  sympathy  of  How- 
ard, or  as  treating  conquered  enemies  with  the  delicacy  of 
the  Black  Prince,  would  be  to  violate  all  dramatic  propriety. 
The  old  Romans  had  some  great  virtues — fortitude,  temper- 
ance, veracity,  spirit  to  resist  oppression,  respect  for  legiti- 
mate authority,  fidelity  in  the  observing  of  contracts,  disin- 
terestedness, ardent  patriotism ;  but  Christian  charity  and 
chivalrous  generosity  were  alike  unknown  to  them. 

It  would  have  been  obviously  improper  to  mimic  the  man- 
ner of  any  particular  age  or  country.  Something  has  been 
borrowed,  however,  from  our  own  ballads,  and  more  from 
Sir  Walter  Scott,  the  great  restorer  of  our  ballad-poetry. 
To  the  Iliad  still  greater  obligations  are  due  ;  and  those 
obligations  have  been  contracted  with  the  less  hesitation 
because  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  some  of  the  old 
Latin  minstrels  really  had  recourse  to  that  inexhaustible 
store  of  poetical  images. 

It  would  have  been  easy  to  swell  this  little  volume  to  a 
very  considerable  bulk  by  appending  notes  filled  with  quota- 
tions :  but  to  a  learned  reader  such  notes  are  not  necessary  ; 
for  an  unlearned  reader  they  would  have  little  interest;  and 
the  judgment  passed  both  by  the  learned  and  by  the  un- 
learned on  a  work  of  the  imagination  will  always  depend 
much  more  on  the  general  character  and  spirit  of  such  a 
work  than  on  minute  details. 


3o  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

II.    CRITICAL   COMMENTS   ON   THE   LAYS. 
[From  a  Review  by  John  Stuart  Aft'//.*] 

It  is  with  those  two  great  masters  of  modern  ballad-poetry 
[Scott  and  Campbell]  that  Mr.  Macaulay's  performances  are 
really  to  be  compared,  and  not  with  the  real  ballads  or  epics 
of  an  early  age.  The  Lays,  in  point  of  form,  are  not  in  the 
least  like  the  genuine  productions  of  a  primitive  age  or  peo- 
ple, and  it  is  no  blame  to  Mr.  Macaulay  that  they  are  not. 
He  professes  imitation  of  Homer,  but  we  really  see  no  re- 
semblance, except  in  the  nature  of  some  of  the  incidents  and 
the  animation  and  vigor  of  the  narrative  ;  and  the  ///a//,  after 
all,  is  not  the  original  ballad  of  the  Trojan  war,  but  those 
ballads  moulded  together  and  wrought  into  the  forms  of  a 
more  civilized  and  cultivated  age.  It  is  difficult  to  conject- 
ure what  the  forms  of  the  old  Roman  ballads  may  have  been, 
and  certain  that,  whatever  they  were,  they  could  no  more 
satisfy  the  aesthetic  requirements  of  modern  culture  than 
an  ear  accustomed  to  the  great  organ  of  Freyburg  or  Haar- 
lem could  relish  Orpheus's  hurdy-gurdy  ;  although  the  airs 
which  Orpheus  played,  if  they  could  be  recovered,  might 
perhaps  be  executed  with  great  effect  on  the  more  perfect 
instrument. 

The  forms  of  Mr.  Macaulay's  ballad-poetry  are  essentially 
modern  ;  they  are  those  of  the  romantic  and  chivalrous,  not 
the  classical  ages,  and  even  in  those  they  are  a  reproduction, 
not  of  the  originals,  but  of  the  imitations  of  Scott.  In  this 
we  think  he  has  done  well,  for  Scott's  style  is  as  near  to  that 
of  the  ancient  ballad  as  we  conceive  to  be  at  all  compatible 
with  real  popular  effect  on  the  modern  mind.  The  difference 
between  the  two  may  be  seen  by  the  most  cursory  compari- 
son of  any  real  old  ballad,  Chevy  Chase  for  instance,  with  the 
last  canto  of  Marmion  or  with  any  of  these  Lays.  Concise- 
*  Westminster  Revinv,  Feb.  1843  (v°l-  xxxix.  p.  105  fol.). 


INTROD  UCTION.  3  x 

ness  is  the  characteristic  of  the  real  ballad,  diffuseness  of  the 
modern  adaptation.  The  old  bard  did  everything  by  single 
touches ;  Scott  and  Mr.  Macaulay  by  repetition  and  accumula- 
tion of  particulars.  They  produce  all  effect  by  what  they  say  ; 
he  by  what  he  suggested — by  what  he  stimulated  the  imagina- 
tion to  paint  for  itself.  But  then  the  old  ballads  were  not 
written  for  the  light  reading  of  tired  readers.  To  do  the 
work  in  their  way,  they  required  to  be  brooded  over,  or  had 
at  least  the  aid  of  time  and  of  impassioned  recitation. 
Stories  which  are  to  be  told  to  children  in  the  age  of  eager- 
ness and  excitability,  or  sung  in  banquet  halls  to  assembled 
warriors,  whose  daily  ideas  and  feelings  supply  a  flood  of 
comment  ready  to  gush  forth  on  the  slightest  hint  of  the 
poet,  cannot  fly  too  swift  and  straight  to  the  mark.  But  Mr. 
Macaulay  wrote  only  to  be  read,  and  by  readers  for  whom 
it  was  necessary  to  do  all. 

These  poems,  therefore,  are  not  the  worse  for  being  un- 
Roman  in  their  form  ;  and  in  their  substance  the^  are  Ro- 
man to  a  degree  which  deserves  great  admiration.  .  .  .  We 
have  not  been  able  to  detect,  in  the  four  poems,  one  idea 
or  feeling  which  was  not,  or  might  not  have  been,  Roman  ; 
while  the  externals  of  Roman  life,  and  the  feelings  char- 
acteristic of  Rome  and  of  that  particular  age,  are  reproduced 
with  great  felicity,  and  without  being  made  unduly  predomi- 
nant over  the  universal  features  of  human  nature  and  human 
life. 

Independently,  therefore,  of  their  value  as  poems,  these 
compositions  are  a  real  service  rendered  to  historical  litera- 
ture ;  and  the  author  has  made  this  service  greater  by  his 
prefaces,  which  will  do  more  than  the  work  of  a  hundred 
dissertations  in  rendering  that  true  conception  of  early  Ro- 
man history,  the  irrefragable  establishment  of  which  has 
made  Niebuhr  illustrious,  familiar  to  the  minds  of  general 
readers.  This  is  no  trifling  matter  even  in  relation  to  pres- 
ent interests,  for  there  is  no  estimating  the  injury  which  the 


3  2  MA  CAUL  AY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

cause  of  popular  institutions  has  suffered,  and  still  suffers, 
from  misrepresentation  of  the  early  condition  of  the  Roman 
plebs  and"  its  noble  struggles  against  its  taskmasters.  And 
the  study  of  the  manner  in  which  the  heroic  legends  of  early 
Rome  grew  up  as  poetry  and  gradually  became  history,  has 
important  bearings  on  the  general  laws  of  historical  evidence 
and  on  the  many  things  which,  as  philosophy  advances,  are 
more  and  more  seen  to  be  therewith  connected. 

[From  Professor  Henry  Motley's  Introduction  to  the  Lays*} 

Macaulay  was,  perhaps,  at  his  best  in  his  four  Lays  of 
Ancient  Rome.  Whatever  else  he  wrote  required  some  quali- 
ties of  mind  other  than  those  which  have  made  all  that  he 
wrote  popular.  The  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  called  into  play 
just  those  powers  which  he  had  in  perfection,  and  required 
no  more.  Powers  that  will  ripen  only  in  a  meditative  mind 
must  remain  unripe  in  the  mind  of  one  whose  frank  and 
social  nature  keeps  his  tongue  continually  busy.  "  If  any 
one  has  anything  to  say,"  said  Rogers,  at  one  of  his  break- 
fasts, "let  him  say  it  now.  Macaulay's  coming."  He  had 
only  what  were  called  flashes  of  silence,  and  a  great  part 
of  his  thinking  must  have  been  what  came  to  him  in  asso- 
ciation with  the  utterance  of  words.  When  he  was  not 
talking,  he  was  chiefly  reading,  for  he  read  very  much,  and 
his  marvellous  memory  caused  what  he  read  to  stay  by 
him,  good  or  bad.  Most  men  are  able  to  forget  what  is  not 
worth  keeping  in  mind,  and  may  thank  Heaven  that  they 
can.  Macaulay,  as  a  young  child,  went  with  his  mother  to 
pay  a  call,  picked  up  from  the  drawing-room  table  one 
of  Scott's  long  poems,  then  just  published,  read  it  through 
while  the  call  lasted,  and  was  able  to  repeat  any  quantity 
of  it  to  his  mother  after  they  got  home.  He  enjoyed  Scott, 
and  if  he  had  never  read  Scott's  metrical  romances  the 

*  From  the  edition  of  the  Lays  in  "  Cassell's  National  Library"  (No. 
58),  London  and  New  York,  1887. 


INTRODUCTION. 


33 


style  of  these  Lays  would  have  shown  imitation  of  some 
other  poet. 

But  Macaulay  caught  the  swing  of  Scott's  romance  meas- 
ure, made  it  a  little  more  rhetorical,  without  loss — some 
might  say  rather  with  increase — of  energy,  and  brought  into 
play  his  own  power  of  realizing  in  his  mind  all  that  he  told. 
In  its  expression  of  that  power  lies  the  great  and  abiding 
charm  of  Macaulay's  History.  If  it  be  not  whole  truth  it 
is  as  much  truth  as  he  saw,  and  he  would  see  nothing  that 
blurred  the  outlines  of  the  picture  formed  in  his  own  mind. 
Some  few  truths  are  so  simple  and  single  that  they  can  be 
stated  without  any  guard  or  reservation  ;  the  historian  who 
thinks  much  has  to  convey  to  his  reader  many  suggestions 
of  doubt  or  hesitation.  Macaulay  took  only  one  view,  re- 
jected all  that  clouded  it,  accepted  all  that  helped  to  make 
it  more  distinct.  He  was  one  of  the  kindest  and  truest  of 
men,  intensely  human  ;  his  one  view,  whatever  it  might  be, 
had' his  own  life  and  feeling  in  it ;  and  when  set  forth  in  his 
own  clear  English,  with  short  sentences  that  never  needed 
to  be  lengthened  by  a  qualifying  clause — all  as  fact  in  broad 
sunshine  about  which  there  did  not  hang  a  cloud  of  doubt — 
it  was,  and  is,  and  always  will  be,  delightful  reading.  It  will 
be  thoroughly  helpful  reading  too,  for  any  one  who  knows 
the  worth  of  a  clear  view  boldly  and  honestly  expressed,  and 
is  able  cautiously  to  use  it  as  aid  to  the  formation  of  his  own 
opinion.  To  the  untrained  reader  Macaulay,  as  historian, 
is  a  comfort.  That  reader,  when  he  inquires,  wants  always 
upon  every  question  a  plain  Yes  or  No.  He  dislikes  the 
confusion  of  doubt.  This  was  disliked  also  by  Macaulay  as 
artist ;  and  the  reader  who  is  only  bothered  by  nice  balanc- 
ings of  thought  gets  from  Macaulay  always  the  "plain  answer 
to  a  plain  question,"  the  clear,  unhesitating  Yes  or  No  which 
others  might  consider  to  be  no  answer  to  any  question  that 
touches  the  complexities  of  human  life. 

But  in  a  ballad  there  are  no  complexities.  It  is  a  tale  to 
3 


34  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

be  chanted  to  the  people,  bound  only  to  be  bright  and  live- 
ly, with  ease  in  its  rhythm,  action  in  every  line,  and  through 
its  whole  plan  a  stirring  incident  shown  clearly  from  one 
point  of  view.  It  is  a  tale  well  told,  without  any  pauses 
for  a  nice  adjustment  of  opinion,  but  appealing  simply  and 
directly  to  a  feeling  common  to  us  all.  It  is  not  concerned 
with  the  hard  facts  of  history.  Its  immediate  business 
may  sometimes  be  to  contradict  them  for  the  comfort  of  its 
hearers. 

Thus,  in  the  first  of  these  Lays,  the  old  Roman  story  of 
three  Romans  who  saved  Rome  by  keeping  the  bridge  over 
the  Tiber  against  all  the  force  of  Porsena,  was  the  ingenious 
softening  of  a  cruel  fact.  It  turned  a  day  of  deep  humilia- 
tion into  the  bright  semblance  of  a  day  of  glory.  For  we 
learn  from  Tacitus  and  others  that  Porsena  became  abso- 
lute master  of  Rome.  The  Senate  of  Rome  paid  homage 
to  him  with  offering  of  an  ivory  throne,  a  crown,  a  scep- 
tre, a  triumphal  robe ;  and  he  forbade  the  use  of  iron  by 
the  Romans  in  forging  weapons  or  armor.  The  happy  time 
of  release  from  thraldom  was  long  celebrated  by  a  custom 
of  opening  auctions  with  a  first  bid  for  "  the  goods  of  Por- 
sena." What  did  this  matter  ?  The  songs  of  the  people 
were  free  to  suppress  a  great  defeat,  and  put  in  its  place 
the  myth  of  a  heroic  deed ;  some  small  fact  usually  serv- 
ing as  seed  that  shall  grow  and  blossom  out  into  a  noble 
tale.  A  ballad-maker  who  should  stop  the  course  of  a  pop- 
ular legend  to  investigate  its  origin,  and  who  should  be  dull 
enough  to  include  that  investigation  in  his  song,  would  de- 
serve to  be  howled  to  death  by  the  united  voices  of  his 
countrymen. 

Upon  this  ground,  then,  Macaulay  was  a  master.  His 
incidents  are  fully  realized.  He  sees  what  he  sings.  When 
Horatius  strikes  Astur  in  the  face,  the  sword's  course  is  fol- 
lowed "  through  teeth,  and  skull,  and  helmet,"  till  its  point 
stands  out  a  hand-breadth  beyond.  For  its  recovery — 


INTRODUCTION.  35 

"On  Astur's  throat  Horatius 

Right  firmly  pressed  his  heel, 
And  thrice  and  four  times  tugged  amain, 
Ere  he  wrenched  out  the  steel." 

The  simplicity  and  vigor  of  images  drawn,  like  Homer's, 
from  Nature  is  again  in  the  truest  and  best  spirit  of  the 
songs  that  house  themselves  among  the  people.  .  .  . 

In  the  Lays,  as  in  the  earlier  pieces  of  his  ballad-writing, 
Macaulay  liked  to  paint  the  stir  of  battle ;  but  in  Virginia 
there  are  passages  of  another  strain,  and  there  is  tenderness 
in  the  description  of  the  main  incident.  But  for  Virginia, 
some  ungracious  reader  might  say  that  the  Lays,  being  few, 
are  excellent,  but  that  if  they  were  many  they  might  weary 
by  a  too  close  likeness  of  each  to  the  rest.  As  it  is,  the 
ungracious  reader  could  make  no  such  suggestion.  We  all 
read  the  book  with  full  and  natural  enjoyment,  and  we  call 
it  perfect  in  its  kind. 

[From  Slcdmari's  "  Victorian  Poets,"  *] 

Lord  Macaulay's  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  was  a  literary  sur- 
prise, but  its  poetry  is  the  rhythmical  outflow  of  a  vigorous 
and  affluent  writer,  given  to  splendor  of  diction  and  imagery 
in  his  flowing  prose.  He  spoke  once  in  verse,  and  unexpect- 
edly. His  themes  were  legendary,  and  suited  to  the  author's 
heroic  cast,  nor  was  Latinism  ever  more  poetical  than  under 
his  thoroughly  sympathetic  handling.  I  am  aware  that  the 
Lays  are  criticised  as  being  stilted  and  false  to  the  antique, 
but  to  me  they  have  a  charm,  and  to  almost  every  healthy 
young  mind  are  an  immediate  delight.  Where  in  modern 
ballad-verse  will  you  find  more  ringing  stanzas,  or  more  im- 
petuous movement  and  action  ?  Occasionally  we  have  a 
noble  epithet  or  image.  Within  his  range — little  as  one  who 
met  him  might  have  surmised  it — Macaulay  was  a  poet  and 

*  Victorian  Poets,  by  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman  (revised  ed.  Boston, 
1887),  p.  250. 


3  6  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

of  the  kind  which  Scott  would  have  been  first  to  honor. 
Horatius  and  Virginia  among  the  Roman  lays,  and  that  reso- 
nant battle-cry  of  Ivry,  have  become,  it  would  seem,  a  last- 
ing portion  of  English  verse. 


TIVOLI  (THE  ANCIENT  TIBUR) 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT   ROME. 


VICTORIA  (ROYAL  COLLECTION  AT  MUNICH). 


THE    RIVER-GOD   TIBER. 


HORATIUS. 

A  LAY  MADE  ABOUT  THE  YEAR  OF  THE  CITY  CCCLX. 


LARS  PORSENA  of  Clusium 

By  the  Nine  Gods  he  swore 
That  the  great  house  of  Tarquin 

Should  suffer  wrong  no  more. 
By  the  Nine  Gods  he  swore  it, 

And  named  a  trysting-day, 
And  bade  his  messengers  ride  forth, 
East  and  west,  and  south  and  north, 

To  summon  his  array. 

ii. 
East  and  west,  and  south  and  north, 

The  messengers  ride  fast, 
And  tower  and  town  and  cottage 

Have  heard  the  trumpet's  blast. 


4o  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Shame  on  the  false  Etruscan 

Who  lingers  in  his  home, 
When  Porsena  of  Clusium 

Is  on  the  march  for  Rome ! 


in. 

The  horsemen  and  the  footmen 

Are  pouring  in  amain 
From  many  a  stately  market-place,  *> 

From  many  a  fruitful  plain  ; 
From  many  a  lonely  hamlet, 

Which,  hid  by  beech  and  pine, 
Like  an  eagle's  nest,  hangs  on  the  crest 

Of  purple  Apennine ; 

IV. 

From  lordly  Volaterrae, 

Where  scowls  the  far-famed  hold 
Piled  by  the  hands  of  giants 

For  godlike  kings  of  old  ; 
From  sea-girt  Populonia,  3° 

Whose  sentinels  descry 
Sardinia's  snowy  mountain-tops 

Fringing  the  southern  sky  ; 

v. 

From  the  proud  mart  of  Pisse, 

Queen  of  the  western  waves, 
Where  ride  Massilia's  triremes 

Heavy  with  fair-haired  slaves  ; 
From  where  sweet  Clanis  wanders 

Through  corn  and  vines  and  flowers ; 
From  where  Cortona  lifts  to  heaven  4° 

Her  diadem  of  towers. 


HORA  TIUS.  4I 

VI. 

Tall  are  the  oaks  whose  acorns 

Drop  in  dark  Auser's  rill ; 
Fat  are  the  stags  that  champ  the  boughs 

Of  the  Ciminian  hill; 
Beyond  all  streams  Clitumnus 

Is  to  the  herdsman  dear  ; 
Best  of  all  pools  the  fowler  loves 

The  great  Volsinian  mere. 

VII. 

But  now  no  stroke  of  woodman  50 

Is  heard  by  Auser's  rill ; 
No  hunter  tracks  the  stag's  green  path 

Up  the  Ciminian  hill ; 
Unwatched  along  Clitumnus 

Grazes  the  milk-white  steer  ; 
Unharmed  the  water-fowl  may  dip 

In  the  Volsinian  mere. 

VIII. 

The  harvests  of  Arretium 

This  year  old  men  shall  reap  ; 
This  year  young  boys  in  Umbro  <5o 

Shall  plunge  the  struggling  sheep  ; 
And  in  the  vats  of  Luna 

This  year  the  must  shall  foam 
Round  the  white  feet  of  laughing  girls 

Whose  sires  have  marched  to  Rome. 

IX. 

There  be  thirty  chosen  prophets, 

The  wisest  of  the  land, 
Who  alway  by  Lars  Porsena 

Both  morn  and  evening  stand  ; 


42  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Evening  and  morn  the  Thirty  70 

Have  turned  the  verses  o'er, 
Traced  from  the  right  on  linen  white 

By  mighty  seers  of  yore. 

x. 

And  with  one  voice  the  Thirty 

Have  their  glad  answer  given  : 
'Go  forth,  go  forth,  Lars  Porsena; 

Go  forth,  beloved  of  Heaven  ; 
Go,  and  return  in  glory 

To  Clusium's  royal  dome, 
And  hang  round  Nurscia's  altars  80 

The  golden  shields  of  Rome.' 

XI. 

And  now  hath  every  city 

Sent  up  her  tale  of  men  ; 
The  foot  are  fourscore  thousand, 

The  horse  are  thousands  ten. 
.  Before  the  gates  of  Sutrium 

Is  met  the  great  array. 
A  proud  man  was  Lars  Porsena 

Upon  the  trysting-day. 

XII. 

For  all  the  Etruscan  armies  90 

Were  ranged  beneath  his  eye, 
And  many  a  banished  Roman, 

And  many  a  stout  ally  ; 
And  with  a  mighty  following 

To  join  the  muster  came 
The  Tusculan  Mamilius, 

Prince  of  the  Latian  name. 


HORA  TIUS. 

XIII. 
But  by  the  yellow  Tiber 

Was  tumult  and  affright : 
From  all  the  spacious  champaign 

To  Rome  men  took  their  flight. 
A  mile  around  the  city 

The  throng  stopped  up  the  ways ; 
A  fearful  sight  it  was  to  see 

Through  two  long  nights  and  days. 

XIV. 

For  aged  folk  on  crutches, 

And  women  great  with  child, 
And  mothers  sobbing  over  babes 

That  clung  to  them  and  smiled, 
And  sick  men  borne  in  litters 

High  on  the  necks  of  slaves, 
And  troops  of  sunburnt  husbandmen 

With  reaping-hooks  and  staves, 

xv. 

And  droves  of  mules  and  asses 

Laden  with  skins  of  wine, 
And  endless  flocks  of  goats  and  sheep, 

And  endless  herds  of  kine, 
And  endless  trains  of  wagons 

That  creaked  beneath  the  weight 
Of  corn-sacks  and  of  household  goods, 

Choked  every  roaring  gate. 

XVI. 

Now  from  the  rock  Tarpeian 
Could  the  wan  burghers  spy 

The  line  of  blazing  villages 
Red  in  the  midnight  sky. 


43 


44  MAC  A  [/LAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

The  Fathers  of  the  City, 
They  sat  all  night  and  day, 

For  every  hour  some  horseman  came 
With  tidings  of  dismay. 


XVII. 

To  eastward  and  to  westward  J3° 

Have  spread  the  Tuscan  bands  ; 
Nor  house  nor  fence  nor  dovecot 

In  Crustumerium  stands. 
Verbenna  down  to  Ostia 

Hath  wasted  all  the  plain  ; 
Astur  hath  stormed  Janiculum, 

And  the  stout  guards  are  slain. 

XVIII. 

I  wis,  in  all  the  Senate, 

There  was  no  heart  so  bold 
But  sore  it  ached  and  fast  it  beat,  M° 

When  that  ill  news  was  told. 
Forthwith  up  rose  the  Consul, 

Up  rose  the  Fathers  all ; 
In  haste  they  girded  up  their  gowns, 

And  hied  them  to  the  wall. 

XIX. 

They  held  a  council  standing 

Before  the  River  Gate  ; 
Short  time  was  there,  ye  well  may  guess, 

For  musing  or  debate. 
Out  spake  the  Consul  roundly,  '5» 

'The  bridge  must  straight  go  down; 
For,  since  Janiculum  is  lost, 

Naught  else  can  save  the  town.' 


HORATIUS.  45 

XX. 

Just  then  a  scout  came  flying, 

All  wild  with  haste  and  fear  : 
'  To  arms  !  to  arms  !  Sir  Consul ; 

Lars  Porsena  is  here  !' 
On  the  low  hills  to  westward 

The  Consul  fixed  his  eye. 
And  saw  the  swarthy  storm  of  dust  »6o 

Rise  fast  along  the  sky. 

XXI. 

And  nearer  fast,  and  nearer, 

Doth  the  red  whirlwind  come  ; 
And  louder  still,  and  still  more  loud, 
From  underneath  that  rolling  cloud, 
Is  heard  the  trumpet's  war-note  proud, 

The  trampling  and  the  hum. 
And  plainly  and  more  plainly 

Now  through  the  gloom  appears, 
Far  to  left  and  far  to  right,  17° 

In  broken  gleams  of  dark-blue  light, 
The  long  array  of  helmets  bright, 

The  long  array  of  spears. 

XXII. 

And  plainly  and  more  plainly, 

Above  that  glimmering  line, 
Now  might  ye  see  the  banners 

Of  twelve  fair  cities  shine  ; 
But  the  banner  of  proud  Clusium 

Was  highest  of  them  all, 
The  terror  of  the  Umbrian,  180 

The  terror  of  the  Gaul. 


46  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

XXIII. 

And  plainly  and  more  plainly 

Now  might  the  burghers  know, 
By  port  and  vest,  by  horse  and  crest, 

Each  warlike  Lucumo. 
There  Cilnius  of  Arretium 

On  his  fleet  roan  was  seen  ; 
And  Astur  of  the  fourfold  shield, 
Girt  with  the  brand  none  else  may  wield, 
Tolumnius  with  the  belt  of  gold,  190 

And  dark  Verbenna  from  the  hold 

By  reedy  Thrasymene. 

XXIV. 

Fast  by  the  royal  standard, 

O'erlooking  all  the  war, 
Lars  Porsena  of  Clusium 

Sat  in  his  ivory  car. 
By  the  right  wheel  rode  Mamilius, 

Prince  of  the  Latian  name  ; 
And  by  the  left  false  Sextus, 

That  wrought  the  deed  of  shame.  200 

xxv. 

But  when  the  face  of  Sextus 

Was  seen  among  the  foes, 
A  yell  that  rent  the  firmament 

From  all  the  town  arose. 
On  the  house-tops  was  no  woman 

But  spat  towards  him  and  hissed, 
No  child  but  screamed  out  curses 

And  shook  its  little  fist. 


HORA  TIUS.  47 

XXVI. 

But  the  Consul's  brow  was  sad, 

And  the  Consul's  speech  was  low,  aio 

And  darkly  looked  he  at  the  wall, 

And  darkly  at  the  foe. 
'Their  van  will  be  upon  us 

Before  the  bridge  goes  down  ; 
And  if  they  once  may  win  the  bridge, 

What  hope  to  save  the  town  ?' 

XXVII. 

Then  out  spake  brave  Horatius, 

The  Captain  of  the  Gate  : 
'To  every  man  upon  this  earth 

Death  cometh  soon  or  late.  220 

And  how  can  man  die  better 

Than  facing  fearful  odds, 
For  the  ashes  of  his  fathers 

And  the  temples  of  his  gods, 

XXVIII. 

'And  for  the  tender  mother 

Who  dandled  him  to  rest, 
And  for  the  wife  who  nurses 

His  baby  at  her  breast. 
And  for  the  holy  maidens 

Who  feed  the  eternal  flame,  230 

To  save  them  from  false  Sextus 

That  wrought  the  deed  of  shame  ? 

XXIX. 

'  Hew  clown  the  bridge,  Sir  Consul, 

With  all  the  speed  ye  may  ; 
I,  with  two  more  to  help  me, 

Will  hold  the  foe  in  play. 


48  MACAULAY^S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

In  yon  strait  path  a  thousand 

May  well  be  stopped  by  three. 
Now  who  will  stand  on  either  hand, 

And  keep  the  bridge  with  me?'  240 

XXX. 

Then  out  spake  Spurius  Lartius; 

A  Ramnian  proud  was  he  : 
'Lo,  I  will  stand  at  thy  right  hand, 

And  keep  the  bridge  with  thee.' 
And  out  spake  strong  Herminius ; 

Of  Titian  blood  was  he  : 

*  I  will  abide  on  thy  left  side, 

And  keep  the  bridge  with  thee.' 

XXXI, 

*  Horatius,'  quoth  the  Consul, 

'  As  thou  sayest,  so  let  it  be.'  250 

And  straight  against  that  great  array 

Forth  went  the  dauntless  Three. 
For  Romans  in  Rome's  quarrel 

Spared  neither  land  nor  gold, 
Nor  son  nor  wife,  nor  limb  nor  life, 

In  the  brave  days  of  old. 

XXXII. 

Then  none  was  for  a  party ; 

Then  all  were  for  the  State ; 
Then  the  great  man  helped  the  poor, 

And  the  poor  man  loved  the  great :  360 

Then  lands  were  fairly  portioned  ; 

Then  spoils  were  fairly  sold  ; 
The  Romans  were  like  brothers 

In  the  brave  days  of  old. 


I1ORA  TIUS.  49 

XXXIII. 

Now  Roman  is  to  Roman 

More  hateful  than  a  foe  ; 
And  the  Tribunes  beard  the  high, 

And  the  Fathers  grind  the  low. 
As  we  wax  hot  in  faction, 

In  battle  we  wax  cold  ;  370 

Wherefore  men  fight  not  as  they  fought 

In  the  brave  days  of  old. 

xxxiv. 

Now  while  the  Three  were  tightening 

Their  harness  on  their  backs, 
The"  Consul  was  the  foremost  man 

To  take  in  hand  an  axe  ; 
And  Fathers  mixed  with  Commons 

Seized  hatchet,  bar,  and  crow, 
And  smote  upon  the  planks  above, 

And  loosed  the  props  below.  280 

XXXV. 

Meanwhile  the  Tuscan  army, 

Right  glorious  to  behold, 
Come  flashing  back  the  noonday  light, 
Rank  behind  rank,  like  surges  bright 

Of  a  broad  sea  of  gold. 
Four  hundred  trumpets  sounded 

A  peal  of  warlike  glee, 
As  that  great  host,  with  measured  tread, 
And  spears  advanced,  and  ensigns  spread, 
Rolled  slowly  towards  the  bridge's  head,          390 

Where  stood  the  dauntless  Three. 
4 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 
XXXVI. 

The  Three  stood  calm  and  silent 

And  looked  upon  the  foes, 
And  a  great  shout  of  laughter 

From  all  the  vanguard  rose ; 
And  forth  three  chiefs  came  spurring 

Before  that  deep  array  : 

To  earth  they  sprang,  their  swords. they  drew, 
And  lifted  high  their  shields,  and  flew 

To  win  the  narrow  way  ;  3°° 

XXXVII. 

Aunus  from  green  Tifernum, 

Lord  of  the  Hill  of  Vines  ; 
And  Seius,  whose  eight  hundred  slaves         9 

Sicken  in  Ilva's  mines ; 
And  Picus,  long  to  Clusium 

Vassal  in  peace  and  war, 
Who  led  to  fight  his  Umbrian  powers 
From  that  gray  crag  where,  girt  with  towers, 
The  fortress  of  Nequinum  lowers 

O'er  the  pale  waves  of  Nar.  3'° 

XXXVIII. 

Stout  Lartius  hurled  down  Aunus 

Into  the  stream  beneath ; 
Herminius  struck  at  Seius, 

And  clove  him  to  the  teeth ; 
At  Picus  brave  Horatius 

Darted  one  fiery  thrust, 
And  the  proud  Umbrian's  gilded  arms 

Clashed  in  the  bloody  dust. 


HORATIUS.  gr 

XXXIX. 

Then  Ocnus  of  Falerii 

Rushed  on  the  Roman  Three  ;  320 

And  Lausulus  of  Urgo, 

The  rover  of  the  sea  ; 
And  Aruns  of  Volsinium, 

Who  slew  the  great  wild  boar, 
The  great  wild  boar  that  had  his  den 
Amidst  the  reeds  of  Cosa's  fen, 
And  wasted  fields  and  slaughtered  men 

Along  Albinia's  shore. 

XL. 

Herminius  smote  down  Aruns; 

Lartius  laid  Ocnus  low  ;  330 

Right  to  the  heart  of  Lausulus 

Horatius  sent  a  blow. 
'  Lie  there,'  he  cried, '  fell  pirate  ! 

No  more,  aghast  and  pale, 
From  Ostia's  walls  the  crowd  shall  mark 
The  track  of  thy  destroying  bark. 
No  more  Campania's  hinds  shall  fly 
To  woods  and  caverns  when  they  spy 

Thy  thrice  accursed  sail.' 

XLI. 
But  now  no  sound  of  laughter  340 

Was  heard  among  the  foes ; 
A  wild  and  wrathful  clamor 

From  all  the  vanguard  rosfi. 
Six  spears'  length  from  the  entrance 

Halted  that  deep  array, 
And  for  a  space  no  man  came  forth 

To  win  the  narrow  way. 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 
XLII. 

But  hark !  the  cry  is  Astur ; 

And  lo  !  the  ranks  divide, 
And  the  great  Lord  of  Luna  35° 

Comes  with  his  stately  stride. 
Upon  his  ample  shoulders 

Clangs  loud  the  fourfold  shield, 
And  in  his  hand  he  shakes  the  brand 

Which  none  but  he  can  wield. 

XLIII. 

He  smiled  on  those  bold  Romans 

A  smile  serene  and  high ; 
He  eyed  the  flinching  Tuscans, 

And  scorn  was  in  his  eye. 
Quoth  he, '  The  she-wolf's  litter  y» 

Stand  savagely  at  bay; 
But  will  ye  dare  to  follow, 

If  Astur  clears  the  way  ?' 

XLIV. 

Then,  whirling  up  his  broadsword 

With  both  hands  to  the  height, 
He  rushed  against  Horatius, 

And  smote  with  all  his  might. 
With  shield  and  blade  Horatius 

Right  deftly  turned  the  blow. 
The  blow,  though  turned,  came  yet  too  nigh;   370 
It  missed  his  helm,  but  gashed  his  thigh : 
The  Tuscans  raised  a  joyful  cry 

To  see  the  red  blood  flow. 


HORA  TIUS.  53 

XLV. 

He  reeled  and  on  Herminius 

He  leaned  one  breathing-space, 
Then,  like  a  wild  cat  mad  with  wounds, 

Sprang  right  at  Astur's  face. 
Through  teeth  and  skull  and  helmet 

So  fierce  a  thrust  he  sped, 
The  good  sword  stood  a  hand-breadth  out        38° 

Behind  the  Tuscan's  head. 

XLVI. 

And  the  great  Lord  of  Luna 

Fell  at  that  deadly  stroke, 
As  falls  on  Mount  Alvernus 

A  thunder-smitten  oak. 
Far  o'er  the  crashing  forest 

The  giant  arms  lie  spread; 
And  the  pale  augurs,  muttering  low, 

Gaze  on  the  blasted  head. 

XLVII. 

On  Astur's  throat  Horatius  39° 

Right  firmly  pressed  his  heel, 
And  thrice  and  four  times  tugged  amain 

Ere  he  wrenched  out  the  steel. 
'  And  see,'  he  cried, '  the  welcome, 

Fair  guests,  that  waits  you  here  ! 
What  noble  Lucumo  comes  next 

To  taste  our  Roman  cheer  ?' 

XLVIII. 

But  at  his  haughty  challenge 

A  sullen  murmur  ran, 
Mingled  of  wrath  and  shame  and  dread,  4°° 

Along  that  glittering  van. 


54 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

There  lacked  not  men  of  prowess, 

Nor  men  of  lordly  race ; 
For  all  Etruria's  noblest 

Were  round  the  fatal  place. 

XLIX. 
But  all  Etruria's  noblest 

Felt  their  hearts  sink  to  see 
On  the  earth  the  bloody  corpses, 

In  the  path  the  dauntless  Three ; 
And,  from  the  ghastly  entrance  4«> 

Where  those  bold  Romans  stood, 
All  shrank,  like  boys  who,  unaware, 
Ranging  the  woods  to  start  a  hare, 
Come  to  the  mouth  of  the  dark  lair 
Where,  growling  low,  a  fierce  old  bear 

Lies  amidst  bones  and  blood. 

L. 

Was  none  who  would  be  foremost 

To  lead  such  dire  attack ; 
But  those  behind  cried  '  Forward  !' 

And  those  before  cried  '  Back  !'  420 

And  backward  now  and  forward 

Wavers  the  deep  array; 
And  on  the  tossing  sea  of  steel 
To  and  fro  the  standards  reel, 
And  the  victorious  trumpet-peal 

Dies  fitfully  away. 

LI. 
Yet  one  man  for  one  moment 

Strode  out  before  the  crowd ; 
Well  known  was  he  to  all  the  Three, 

And  they  gave  him  greeting  loud.  430 


HORA  77 US.  55 

'  Now  welcome,  welcome,  Sextus  ! 

Now  welcome  to  thy  home  ! 
Why  dost  thou  stay  and  turn  away  ? 

Here  lies  the  road  to  Rome.' 

LIT. 

Thrice  looked  he  at  the  city, 

Thrice  looked  he  at  the  dead ; 
And  thrice  came  on  in  fury, 

And  thrice  turned  back  in  dread ; 
And,  white  with  fear  and  hatred, 

Scowled  at  the  narrow  way  440 

Where,  wallowing  in  a  pool  of  blood, 

The  bravest  Tuscans  lay. 

LI  1 1. 

But  meanwhile  axe  and  lever 

Have  manfully  betn  plied, 
And  now  the  bridge  hangs  tottering 

Above  the  boiling  tide. 
'  Come  back,  come  back,  Horatius  P 

Loud  cried  the  Fathers  all. 
*  Back,  Lartius  !  back,  Herminius  ! 

Back,  ere  the  ruin  fall  !'  45° 

LIV. 

Back  darted  Spurius  Lartius, 

Herminius  darted  back ; 
And,  as  they  passed,  beneath  their  feet 

They  felt  the  timbers  crack. 
But  when  they  turned  their  faces, 

And  on  the  farther  shore 
Saw  brave  Horatius  stand  alone, 

They  would  have  crossed  once  more. 


56  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

LV. 

But  with  a  crash  like  thunder 

Fell  every  loosened  beam,  460 

And,  like  a  dam,  the  mighty  wreck 

Lay  right  athwart  the  stream; 
And  a  long  shout  of  triumph 

Rose  from  the  walls  of  Rome, 
As  to  the  highest  turret- tops 

Was  splashed  the  yellow  foam. 

LVI. 
And,  like  a  horse  unbroken 

When  first  he  feels  the  rein, 
The  furious  river  struggled  hard, 

And  tossed  his  tawny  mane,  47° 

And  burst  the  curb  and  bounded, 

Rejoicing  to  be  free, 
And,  whirling  down  in  fierce  career 
Battlement  and  plank  and  pier, 

Rushed  headlong  to  the  sea. 

LVII. 

Alone  stood  brave  Horatius 

But  constant  still  in  mind, 
Thrice  thirty  thousand  foes  before 

And  the  broad  flood  behind. 
'  Down  with  him  !'  cried  false  Sextus,  480 

With  a  smile  on  his  pale  face. 
*  Now  yield  thee,'  cried  Lars  Porsena, 

'  Now  yield  thee  to  our  grace.' 

LVIII. 
Round  turned  he,  as  not  deigning 

Those  craven  ranks  to  see ; 
Naught  spake  he  to  Lars  Porsena, 

To  Sextus  naught  spake  he ; 


HORA  TIUS. 


57 


But  he  saw  on  Palatinus 

The  white  porch  of  his  home, 
And  he  spake  to  the  noble  river  49° 

That  rolls  by  the  towers  of  Rome  : 

LIX. 
'  O  Tiber !  father  Tiber ! 

To  whom  the  Romans  pray, 
A  Roman's  life,  a  Roman's  arms, 

Take  thou  in  charge  this  day !' 
So  he  spake,  and  speaking  sheathed 

The  good  sword  by  his  side, 
And  with  his  harness  on  his  back 

Plunged  headlong  in  the  tide. 


No  sound  of  joy  or  sorrow  s°° 

Was" heard  from  either  bank, 
But  friends  and  foes  in  dumb  surprise, 
With  parted  lips  and  straining  eyes, 

Stood  gazing  where  he  sank; 
And  when  above  the  surges 

They  saw  his  crest  appear, 
All  Rome  sent  forth  a  rapturous  cry, 
And  even  the  ranks  of  Tuscany 

Could  scarce  forbear  to  cheer. 

LXI. 
But  fiercely  ran  the  current,  510 

Swollen  high  by  months  of  rain ; 
And  fast  his  blood  was  flowing, 

And  he  was  sore  in  pain, 
And  heavy  with  his  armor, 

And  spent  with  changing  blows ; 
And  oft  they  thought  him  sinking, 

But  still  again  he  rose. 


MA  CAUL  AY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

LXII. 
Never,  I  ween,  did  swimmer, 

In  such  an  evil  case, 
Struggle  through  such  a  raging  flood  52° 

Safe  to  the  landing-place ; 
But  his  limbs  were  borne  up  bravely 

By  the  brave  heart  within, 
And  our  good  father  Tiber 

Bare  bravely  up  his  chin. 

LXIII. 

'  Curse  on  him  !'  quoth  false  Sextus ; 

'  Will  not  the  villain  drown  ? 
But  for  this  stay,  ere  close  of  day 

We  should  have  sacked  the  town  !' 
'  Heaven  help  him  !'  quoth  Lars  Porsena,          53° 

'And  bring  him  safe  to  shote; 
For  such  a  gallant  feat  of  arms 

Was  never  seen  before.' 

LXIV. 

And  now  he  feels  the  bottom ; 

Now  on  dry  earth  he  stands ; 
Now  round  him  throng  the  Fathers 

To  press  his  gory  hands ; 
And  now,  with  shouts  and  clapping 

And  noise  of  weeping  loud, 
He  enters  through  the  River  Gate,  54° 

Borne  by  the  joyous  crowd. 

LXV. 

They  gave  him  of  the  corn-land, 

That  was  of  public  right, 
As  much  as  two  strong  oxen 

Could  plough  from  morn  till  night ; 


HORA  TIUS.  59 

And  they  made  a  molten  image 

And  set  it  up  on  high, 
And  there  it  stands  unto  this  day 

To  witness  if  I  lie. 


LXVI. 

It  stands  in  the  Comitium,  55° 

Plain  for  all  folk  to  see, 
Horatius  in  his  harness 

Halting  upon  one  knee  ; 
And  underneath  is  written, 

In  letters  all  of  gold, 
How  valiantly  he  kept  the  bridge 

In  the  brave  days  of  old. 

LXVII. 

And  still  his  name  sounds  stirring 

Unto  the  men  of  Rome, 
As  the  trumpet-blast  that  cries  to  them  5<*> 

To  charge  the  Volscian  home  ; 
And  wives  still  pray  to  Juno 

For  boys  with  hearts  as  bold 
As  his  who  kept  the  bridge  so  well 

In  the  brave  days  of  old. 

LXVIII. 

And  in  the  nights  of  winter, 

When  the  cold  north  winds  blow, 
And  the  long  howling  of  the  wolves 

Is  heard  amidst  the  snow  ; 
When  round  the  lonely  cottage  57° 

Roars  loud  the  tempest's  din, 
And  the  good  logs  of  Algidus 

Roar  louder  vet  within  ; 


6o 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 


LXIX. 

When  the  oldest  cask  is  opened, 

And  the  largest  lamp  is  lit ; 
When  the  chestnuts  glow  in  the  embers, 

And  the  kid  turns  on  the  spit ; 
When  young  and  old  in  circle 

Around  the  firebrands  close  ; 
When  the  girls  are  weaving  baskets, 

And  the  lads  are  shaping  bows ; 

LXX. 

When  the  goodman  mends  his  armor, 

And  trims  his  helmet's  plume ; 
When  the  goodwife's  shuttle  merrily 

Goes  flashing  through  the  loom ; 
With  weeping  and  with  laughter 

Still  is  the  story  told, 
How  well  Horatius  kept  the  bridge 

In  the  brave  days  of  old. 


580 


ROMAN    VICTORY. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 

A  LAY  SUNG  AT  THE  FEAST  OF  CASTOR  AND  POLLUX 
ON  THE  IDES  OF  QUINTILIS,  IN  THE  YEAR  OF  THE 
CITY  CCCCLI. 

I. 

Ho,  trumpets,  sound  a  war-note  ! 

Ho,  lictors,  clear  the  way  ! 
The  knights  will  ride,  in  all  their  pride, 

Along  the  streets  to-day. 
To-day  the  doors  and  windows 

Are  hung  with  garlands  all, 
From  Castor  in  the  Forum 

To  Mars  without  the  wall. 


62  MACAULAY^S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Each  knight  is  robed  in  purple, 

With  olive  each  is  crowned  ;  » 

A  gallant  war-horse  under  each 

Paws  haughtily  the  ground. 
While  flows  the  Yellow  River, 

While  stands  the  Sacred  Hill, 
The  proud  ides  of  Quintilis 

Shall  have  such  honor  still. 
Gay  are  the  Martian  calends, 

December's  nones  are  gay ; 
But  the  proud  ides,  when  the  squadron  rides, 

Shall  be  Rome's  whitest  day.  20 

ii. 

Unto  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

We  keep  this  solemn  feast. 
Swift,  swift,  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Came  spurring  from  the  east. 
They  came  o'er  wild  Parthenius 

Tossing  in  waves  of  pine, 
O'er  Cirrha's  dome,  o'er  Adria's  foam, 

O'er  purple  Apennine, 
From  where  with  flutes  and  dances 

Their  ancient  mansion  rings  30 

In  lordly  Lacedaemon, 

The  city  of  two  kings, 
To.  where,  by  Lake  Regillus, 

Under  the  Porcian  height, 
All  in  the  lands  of  Tusculum, 

Was  fought  the  glorious  fight. 

in. 

Now  on  the  place  of  slaughter 
Are  cots  and  sheepfolds  seen, 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  63 

And  rows  of  vines,  and  fields  of  wheat, 

And  apple-orchards  green  ;  4° 

The  swine  crush  the  big  acorns 

That  fall  from  Corne's  oaks  ; 
Upon  the  turf  by  the  Fair  Fount 

The  reaper's  pottage  smokes. 
The  fisher  baits  his  angle, 

The  hunter  twangs  his  bow ; 
Little  they  think  on  those  strong  limbs 

That  moulder  deep  below. 
.  Little  they  think  how  sternly 

That  day  the  trumpets  pealed  ;  5° 

How  in  the  slippery  swamp  of  blood 

Warrior  and  war-horse  reeled  ; 
How  wolves  came  with  fierce  gallop, 

And  crows  on  eager  wings, 
To  tear  the  flesh  of  captains, 

And  peck  the  eyes  of  kings  ; 
How  thick  the  dead  lay  scattered 

Under  the  Porcian  height ; 
How  through  the  gates  of  Tusculum 

Raved  the  wild  stream  of  flight ;  60 

And  how  the  Lake  Regillus 

Bubbled  with  crimson  foam, 
What  time  the  Thirty  Cities 

Came  forth  to  war  with  Rome. 


IV. 

But,  Roman,  when  thou  standest 

Upon  that  holy  ground, 
Look  thou  with  heed  on  the  dark  rock 

That  girds  the  dark  lake  round. 
So  shalt  thou  see  a  hoof-mark 

Stamped  deep  into  the  flint;  7o 


64  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

It  was  no  hoof  of  mortal  steed 

That  made  so  strange  a  dint. 
There  to  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Vow  thou  thy  vows,  and  pray 
Thatjhey,  in  tempest  and  in  fight, 

Will  keep  thy  head  alway. 

v. 

Since  last  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Of  mortal  eyes  were  seen, 
Haxre  years  gone  by  an  hundred 

And  fourscore  and  thirteen.  80 

That  summer  a  Virginius 

Was  Consul  first  in  place ; 
The  second  was  stout  Aulus, 

Of  the  Posthumian  race. 
The  herald  of  the  Latines 

From  Gabii  came  in  state ; 
The  herald  of  the  Latines 

Passed  through  Rome's  Eastern  Gate ; 
The  herald  of  the  Latines 

Did  in  our  Forum  stand  ;  9° 

And  there  he  did  his  office, 

A  sceptre  in  his  hand : 

vr. 

'  Hear,  Senators  and  people 

Of  the  good  town  of  Rome ! 
The  Thirty  Cities  charge  you 

To  bring  the  Tarquins  home ; 
And  if  ye  still  be  stubborn 

To  work  the  Tarquins  wrong, 
The  Thirty  Cities  warn  you, 

Look  that  your  walls  be  strong.'  «» 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  65 

VII. 
Then  spake  the  Consul  Aulus — 

He  spake  a  bitter  jest — 
'Once  the  jays  sent  a  message 

Unto  the  eagle's  nest : 
Now  yield  thou  up  thine  eyry 

Unto  the  carrion-kite, 
Or  come  forth  valiantly  and  face 

The  jays  in  deadly  fight. — 
Forth  looked  in  wrath  the  eagle  ; 

And  carrion-kite  and  jay,  "° 

Soon  as  they  saw  his  beak  and  claw, 

Fled  screaming  far  away.' 

VIII. 

The  herald  of  the  Latines 

Hath  hied  him  back  in  state  ; 
The  Fathers  of  the  city 

Are  met  in  high  debate. 
Then  spake  the  elder  Consul, 

An  ancient  man  and  wise  : 
'  Now  hearken,  Conscript  Fathers, 

To  that  which  I  advise.  «° 

In  seasons  of  great  peril 

'T  is  good  that  one  bear  sway  ; 
Then  choose  we  a  Dictator, 

Whom  all  men  shall  obey. 
Camerium  knows  how  deeply 

The  sword  of  Aulus  bites, 
And  all  our  city  calls  him 

The  man  of  seventy  fights. 
Then  let  him  be  Dictator 

For  six  months,  and  no  more,  '3° 

And  have  a  Master  of  the  Knights 

And  axes  twenty-four.' 


66  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

IX. 

So  Aulus  was  Dictator, 

The  man  of  seventy  fights  ; 
He  made  ^butius  Elva 

His  Master  of  the  Knights. 
On  the  third  morn  thereafter, 

At  dawning  of  the  day, 
Did  Aulus  and  ^Ebutius 

Set  forth  with  their  array.  M° 

Sempronius  Atratinus 

Was  left  in  charge  at  home, 
With  boys  and  with  gray-headed  men 

To  keep  the  walls  of  Rome. 
Hard  by  the  Lake  Regillus 

Our  camp  was  pitched  at  night ; 
Eastward  a  mile  the  Latines  lay, 

Under  the  Porcian  height. 
Far  over  hill  and  valley 

Their  mighty  host  was  spread,  15° 

And  with  their  thousand  watch-fires 

The  midnight  sky  was  red. 

x. 

Up  rose  the  golden  morning 

Over  the  Porcian  height, 
The  proud  ides  of  Quintilis 

Marked  evermore  with  white. 
Not  without  secret  trouble 

Our  bravest  saw  the  foes ; 
For  girt  by  threescore  thousand  spears 

The  thirty  standards  rose.  160 

From  every  warlike  city 

That  boasts  the  Latian  name, 
Foredoomed  to  dogs  and  vultures, 

That  gallant  army  came : 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.          67 

From  Setia's  purple  vineyards, 

From  Norba's  ancient  wall, 
From  the  white  streets  of  Tusculum, 

The  proudest  town  of  all ; 
From  where  the  Witch's  Fortress 

O'erhangs  the  dark-blue  seas  ;  17° 

From  the  still  glassy  lake  that  sleeps 

Beneath  Aricia's  trees — 
Those  trees  in  whose  dim  shadow 

The  ghastly  priest  doth  reign, 
The  priest  who  slew  the  slayer, 

And  shall  himself  be  slain  ; 
From  the  drear  banks  of  Ufens, 

Where  flights  of  marsh-fowl  play, 
And  buffaloes  lie  wallowing 

Through  the  hot  summer's  day  ;  180 

From  the  gigantic  watch-towers, 

No  work  of  earthly  men, 
Whence  Cora's  sentinels  o'erlook 

The  never-ending  fen  ; 
From  the  Laurentian  jungle, 

The  wild  hog's  reedy  home  ; 
From  the  green  steeps  whence  Anio  leaps 

In  floods  of  snow-white  foam. 


XI. 

Aricia,  Cora,  Norba, 

Velitrae,  with  the  might  19° 

Of  Setia  and  of  Tusculum, 

Were  marshalled  on  the  right. 
Their  leader  was  Mamilius, 

Prince  of  the  Latian  name  : 
Uport  his  head  a  helmet 

Of  red  gold  shone  like  flame  ; 


68  MA  CAUL  AY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

High  on  a  gallant  charger 

Of  dark-gray  hue  he  rode  ; 
Over  his  gilded  armor 

A  vest  of  purple  flowed, 
Woven  in  the  land  of  sunrise 

By  Syria's  dark-browed  daughters, 
And  by  the  sails  of  Carthage  brought 

Far  o'er  the  southern  waters. 


XII. 

Lavinium  and  Laurentujn 

Had  on  the  left  their  post, 
With  all  the  banners  of  the  marsh, 

And  banners  of  the  coast. 
Their  leader  was  false  Sextus, 

That  wrought  the  deed  of  shame  ; 
With  restless  pace  and  haggard  face 

To  his  last  field  he  came. 
Men  said  he  saw  strange  visions 

Which  none  beside  might  see, 
And  that  strange  sounds  were  in  his  ears 

Which  none  might  hear  but  he. 
A  woman  fair  and  stately, 

But  pale  as  are  the  dead, 
Oft  through  the  watches  of  the  night 

Sat  spinning  by  his  bed ; 
And  as  she  plied  the  distaff, 

In  a  sweet  voice  and  low, 
She  sang  of  great  old  houses 

And  fights  fought  long  ago. 
So  spun  she  and  so  sang  she 

Until  the  east  was  gray, 
Then  pointed  to  her  bleeding  breast, 

And  shrieked,  and  fled  away. 


THE   BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.          69 


XIII. 

But  in  the  centre  thickest 

Were  ranged  the  shields  of  foes,  230 

And  from  the  centre  loudest 

The  cry  of  battle  rose. 
There  Tibur  marched,  and  Pedum,  » 

Beneath  proud  Tarquin's  rule, 
And  Ferentinum  of  the  rock, 

And  Gabii  of  the  pool. 
There  rode  the  Volscian  succors  ; 

There,  in  a  dark  stern  ring, 
The  Roman  exiles  gathered  close 

Around  the  ancient  king.  240 

Though  white  as  Mount  Soracte 

When  winter  nights  are  long 
His  beard  flowed  down  o'er  mail  and  belt, 

His  heart  and  hand  were  strong ; 
Under  his  hoary  eyebrows 

Still  flashed  forth  quenchless  rage  ; 
And  if  the  lance  shook  in  his  gripe, 

'T  was  more  with  hate  than  age. 
Close  at  his  side  was  Titus 

On  an  Apulian  steed —  250 

Titus,  the  youngest  Tarquin, 

Too  good  for  such  a  breed. 

XIV. 

Now  on  each  side  the  leaders 

Gave  signal  for  the  charge  ; 
And  on  each  side  the  footmen 

Strode  on  with  lance  and  targe ; 
And  on  each  side  the  horsemen 

Struck  their  spurs  deep  in  gore, 


MACAULAY^S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

And  front  to  front  the  armies 

Met  with  a  mighty  roar ;  260 

And  under  that  great  battle 

The  earth  with  blood  was  red ; 
And,  like  the  Pomptine  fog  at  morn, 

The  dust  hung  overhead ; 
And  louder  still  and  louder 

Rose  from  the  darkened  field 
The  braying  of  the  war-horns, 

The  clang  of  sword  and  shield, 
The  rush  of  squadrons  sweeping 

Like  whirlwinds  o'er  the  plain,  270 

The  shouting  of  the  slayers, 

And  screeching  of  the  slain. 

xv. 

False  Sextus  rode  out  foremost, 

His  look  was  high  and  bold ; 
His  corselet  was  of  bison's  hide, 

Plated  with  steel  and  gold. 
As  glares  the  famished  eagle 

From  the  Digentian  rock 
,  On  a  choice  lamb  that  bounds  alone 

Before  Bandusia's  flock,  280 

Herminius  glared  on  Sextus 

And  came  with  eagle  speed, 
Herminius  on  black  Auster, 

Brave  champion  on  brave  steed ; 
In  his  right  hand  the  broadsword 

That  kept  the  bridge  so  well, 
And  on  his  helm  the  crown  he  won 

When  proud  Fidenae  fell. 
Woe  to  the  maid  whose  lover 

Shall  cross  his  path  to-day !  290 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  71 

False  Sextus  saw  and  trembled, 

And  turned  and  fled  away. 
As  turns,  as  flies,  the  woodman 

In  the  Calabrian  brake, 
When  through  the  reeds  gleams  the  round  eye 

Of  that  fell  speckled  snake, 
So  turned,  so  fled,  false  Sextus, 

And  hid  him  in  the  rear, 
Behind  the  dark  Lavinian  ranks 

Bristling  with  crest  and  spear.  3°° 

xvr. 

But  far  to  north  ^butius, 

The  Master  of  the  Knights, 
Gave  Tubero  of  Norba 

To  feed  the  Porcian  kites. 
Next  under  those  red  horse-hoofs 

Flaccus  of  Setia  lay ; 
Better  had  he  been  pruning 

Among  his  elms  that  day. 
Mamilius  saw  the  slaughter, 

And  tossed  his  golden  crest,  3'° 

And  towards  the  Master  of  the  Knights 

Through  the  thick  battle  pressed. 
^Ebutius  smote  Mamilius 

So  fiercely  on  the  shield 
That  the  great  lord  of  Tusculum 

Well-nigh  rolled  on  the  field. 
Mamilius  smote  ^Ebutius, 

With  a  good  aim  and  true, 
Just  where  the  neck  and  shoulder  join, 

And  pierced  him  through  and  through;         320 
And  brave  yEbutius  Elva 

Fell  swooning  to  the  ground, 


72  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

But  a  thick  wall  of  bucklers 

Encompassed  him  around. 
His  clients  from  the  battle 

Bare  him  some  little  space, 
And  filled  a  helm  from  the  dark  lake 

And  bathed  his  brow  and  face  ; 
And  when  at  last  he  opened 

His  swimming  eyes  to  light,  330 

Men  say  the  earliest  word  he  spake 

Was,  'Friends,  how  goes  the  fight?' 

XVII. 

But  meanwhile  in  the  centre 

Great  deeds  of  arms  were  wrought ; 
There  Aulus  the  Dictator 

And  there  Valerius  fought. 
Aulus  with  his  good  broadsword 

A  bloody  passage  cleared 
To  where,  amidst  the  thickest  foes, 

He  saw  the  long  white  beard.  34° 

Flat  lighted  that  good  broadsword 

Upon  proud  Tarquin's  head. 
He  dropped  the  lance,  he  dropped  the  reins ; 

He  fell  as  fall  the  dead. 
Down  Aulus  springs  to  slay  him, 

With  eyes  like  coals  of  fire  ; 
But  faster  Titus  hath  sprung  down, 

And  hath  bestrode  his  sire. 
Latian  captains,  Roman  knights, 

Fast  down  to  earth  they  spring,  350 

And  hand  to  hand  they  fight  on  foot 

Around  the  ancient  king. 
First  Titus  gave  tall  Caeso 

A  death-wound  in  the  face — 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


73 


Tall  Caeso  was  the  bravest  man 

Of  the  brave  Fabian  race  ; 
Aulus  slew  Rex  of  Gabii, 

The  priest  of  Juno's  shrine  ; 
Valerius  smote  down  Julius, 

Of  Rome's  great  Julian  line—  360 

Julius,  who  left  his  mansion 

High  on  the  Velian  hill, 
And  through  all  turns  of  weal  and  woe 

Followed  proud  Tarquin  still. 
Now  right  across  proud  Tarquin 

A  corpse  was  Julius  laid ; 
And  Titus  groaned  with  rage  and  grief, 

And  at  Valerius  made. 
Valerius  struck  at  Titus, 

And  lopped  off  half  his  crest ;  37° 

But  Titus  stabbed  Valerius 

A  span  deep  in  the  breast. 
Like  a  mast  snapped  by  the  tempest, 

Valerius  reeled  and  fell. 
Ah !  woe  is  me  for  the  good  house 

That  loves  the  people  well ! 
Then  shouted  loud  the  Latines, 

And  with  one  rush  they  bore 
The  struggling  Romans  backward 

Three  lances'  length  and  more  ;  380 

And  up  they  took  proud  Tarquin, 

And  laid  him  on  a  shield, 
And  four  strong  yeomen  bare  him, 

Still  senseless,  from  the  field. 

XVIII. 

But  fiercer  grew  the  fighting 
Around  Valerius  dead ; 


74 


MACAULAY^S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

For  Titus  dragged  him  by  the  foot, 

And  Aulus  by  the  head. 
'  On,  Latines,  on  !'  quoth  Titus, 

'  See  how  the  rebels  fly !'  390 

'  Romans,  stand  firm  !'  quoth  Aulus, 

'  And  win  this  fight  or  die ! 
They  must  not  give  Valerius 

To  raven  and  to  kite ; 
For  aye  Valerius  loathed  the  wrong, 

And  aye  upheld  the  right ; 
And  for  your  wives  and  babies 

In  the  front  rank  he  fell. 
Now  play  the  men  for  the  good  house 

That  loves  the  people  well !'  400 

XIX. 

Then  tenfold  round  the  body 

The  roar  of  battle  rose, 
Like  the  roar  of  a  burning  forest 

When  a  strong  north  wind  blows. 
Now  backward  and  now  forward 

Rocked  furiously  the  fray, 
Till  none  could  see  Valerius, 

And  none  wist  where  he  lay. 
For  shivered  arms  and  ensigns 

Were  heaped  there  in  a  mound,  410 

And  corpses  stiff  and  dying  men 

That  writhed  and  gnawed  the  ground, 
And  wounded  horses  kicking 

And  snorting  purple  foam  ; 
Right  well  did  such  a  couch  befit 

A  Consular  of  Rome. 

xx. 

But  north  looked  the  Dictator  ; 
North  looked  he  long  and  hard, 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


75 


And  spake  to  Caius  Cossus, 

The  Captain  of  his  Guard :  420 

'  Caius,  of  all  the  Romans, 

Thou  hast  the  keenest  sight ; 
Say,  what  through  yonder  storm  of  dust 

Comes  from  the  Latian  right?' 

XXI. 

Then  answered  Caius  Cossus : 

'  I  see  an  evil  sight; 
The  banner  of  proud  Tusculum 

Comes  from  the  Latian  right. 
I  see  the  plumed  horsemen ; 

And  far  before  the  rest  430 

I  see  the  dark-gray  charger. 

I  see  the  purple  vest; 
I  see  the  golden  helmet 

That  shines  far  off  like  flame  ; 
So  ever  rides  Mamilius, 

Prince  of  the  Latian  name.' 

XXII. 

'  Now  hearken,  Caius  Cossus  : 

Spring  on  thy  horse's  back  ; 
Ride  as  the  wolves  of  Apennine 

Were  all  upon  thy  track  ;  440 

Haste  to  our  southward  battle, 

And  never  draw  thy  rein 
Until  thou  find  Herminius, 

And  bid  him  come  amain.' 

XXIII. 

So  Aulus  spake,  and  turned  him 

Again  to  that  fierce  strife  ; 
And  Caius  Cossus  mounted, 

And  rode  for  death  and  life. 


7 6  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Loud  clanged  beneath  his  horse-hoofs 

The  helmets  of  the  dead,  450 

And  many  a  curdling  pool  of  blood 

Splashed  him  from  heel  to  head. 
So  came  he  far  to  southward, 

Where  fought  the  Roman  host 
Against  the  banners  of  the  marsh 

And  banners  of  the  coast. 
Like  corn  before  the  sickle 

The  stout  Lavinians  fell, 
Beneath  the  edge  of  the  true  sword 

That  kept  the  bridge  so  well.  460 

XXIV. 

'  Herminius,  Aulus  greets  thee  ; 

He  bids  thee  come  with  speed 
To  help  our  central  battle, 

For  sore  is  there  our  need. 
There  wars  the  youngest  Tarquin, 

And  there  the  Crest  of  Flame, 
The  Tusculan  Mamilius, 

Prince  of  the  Latian  name. 
Valerius  hath  fallen  fighting 

In  front  of  our  array,  470 

And  Aulus  of  the  seventy  fields 

Alone  upholds  the  day.' 

XXV. 

Herminius  beat  his  bosom, 

But  never  a  word  he  spake. 
He  clapped  his  hand  on  Auster's  mane, 

He  gave  the  reins  a  shake ; 
Away,  away,  went  Auster, 

Like  an  arrow  from  the  bow — 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  77 

Black  Auster  was  the  fleetest  steed 

From  Aufidus  to  Po.  480 

XXVI. 

Right  glad  were  all  the  Romans 

Who,  in  that  hour  of  dread, 
Against  great  odds  bare  up  the  war 

Around  Valerius  dead, 
When  from  the  south  the  cheering 

Rose  with  a  mighty  swell : 
'  Herminius  comes,  Herminius, 

Who  kept  the  bridge  so  well !' 

XXVII. 

Mamilius  spied  Herminius, 

And  dashed  across  the  way :  49° 

'  Herminius,  I  have  sought  thee 

Through  many  a  bloody  day. 
One  of  us  two,  Herminius, 

Shall  never  more  go  home. 
I  will  lay  on  for  Tusculum, 

And  lay  thou  on  for  Rome !' 

XXVIII. 

All  round  them  paused  the  battle, 

While  met  in  mortal  fray 
The  Roman  and  the  Tusculan, 

The  horses  black  and  gray.  y» 

Herminius  smote  Mamilius 

Through  breastplate  and  through  breast, 
And  fast  flowed  out  the  purple  blood 

Over  the  purple  vest. 
Mamilius  smote  Herminius 

Through  head-piece  and  through  head  ; 
And  side  by  side  those  chiefs  of  pride 

Together  fell  down  dead. 


78  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Down  fell  they  dead  together 

In  a  great  lake  of  gore  ;  51° 

And  still  stood  all  who  saw  them  fall 

While  men  might  count  a  score. 

XXIX. 

Fast,  fast,  with  heels  wild  spurning, 

The  dark-gray  charger  fled  ; 
He  burst  through  ranks  of  fighting-men, 

He  sprang  o'er  heaps  of  dead. 
His  bridle  far  outstreaming, 

His  flanks  all  blood  and  foam, 
He  sought  the  southern  mountains, 

The  mountains  of  his  home.  520 

The  pass  was  steep  and  rugged, 

The  wolves  they  howled  and  whined  ; 
But  he  ran  like  a  whirlwind  up  the  pass, 

And  he  left  the  wolves  behind. 
Through  many  a  startled  hamlet 

Thundered  his  flying  feet ; 
He  rushed  through  the  gate  of  Tusculum, 

He  rushed  up  the  long  white  street ; 
He  rushed  by  tower  and  temple, 

And  paused  not  from  his  race  530 

Till  he  stood  before  his  master's  door 

In  the  stately  market-place. 
And  straightway  round  him  gathered 

A  pale  and  trembling  crowd ; 
And,  when  they  knew  him,  cries  of  rage 

Brake  forth,  and  wailing  loud  ; 
And  women  rent  their  tresses 

For  their  great  prince's  fall ; 
And  old  men  girt  on  their  old  swords, 

And  went  to  man  the  wall.  540 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  79 

XXX. 

But,  like  a  graven  image, 

Black  Auster  kept  his  place, 
And  ever  wistfully  he  looked 

Into  his  master's  face. 
The  raven  mane  that  daily, 

With  pats  and  fond  caresses, 
The  young  Herminia  washed  and  combed, 

And  twined  in  even  tresses, 
And  decked  with  colored  ribbons 

From  her  own  gay  attire,  55° 

Hung  sadly  o'er  her  father's  corpse 

In  carnage  and  in  mire. 
Forth  with  a  shout  sprang  Titus, 

And  seized  black  Auster's  rein. 
Then  Aulus  sware  a  fearful  oath, 

And  ran  at  him  amain  : 
'  The  furies  of  thy  brother 

With  me  and  mine  abide, 
If  one  of  your  accursed  house 

Upon  black  Auster  ride !'  $&> 

As  on  an  Alpine  watch-tower 

From  heaven  comes  down  the  flame, 
Full  on  the  neck  of  Titus 

The  blade  of  Aulus  came  ; 
And  out  the  red  blood  spouted 

In  a  wide  arch  and  tall, 
As  spouts  a  fountain  in  the  court 

Of  some  rich  Capuan's  hall. 
The  knees  of  all  the  Latines 

Were  loosened  with  dismay  570 

When  dead,  on  dead  Herminius, 

The  bravest  Tarquin  lay. 


8o  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

XXXI. 

And  Aulus  the  Dictator 

Stroked  Auster's  raven  mane, 
With  heed  he  looked  unto  the  girths, 

With  heed  unto  the  rein  : 
'  Now  bear  me  well,  black  Auster, 

Into  yon  thick  array, 
And  thou  and  I  will  have  revenge 

For  thy  good  lord  this  day.'  580 

XXXII. 

So  spake  he,  and  was  buckling 

Tighter  black  Auster's  band, 
When  he  was  aware  of  a  princely  pair 

That  rode  at  his  right  hand. 
So  like  they  were,  no  mortal 

Might  one  from  other  know ; 
White  as  snow  their  armor  was, 

Their  steeds  were  white  as  snow. 
Never  on  earthly  anvil 

Did  such  rare  armor  gleam,  59° 

And  never  did  such  gallant  steeds 

Drink  of  an  earthly  stream. 

XXXIII. 

And  all  who  saw  them  trembled, 

And  pale  grew  every  cheek  ; 
And  Aulus  the  Dictator 

Scarce  gathered  voice  to  speak : 
'  Say  by  what  name  men  call  you  ? 

What  city  is  your  home  ? 
And  wherefore  ride  ye  in  such  guise 

Before  the  ranks  of  Rome  ?'  &» 


THE  BATTLE   OF   THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  8 1 

XXXIV. 
'By  many  names  men  call  us, 

In  many  lands  we  dwell : 
Well  Samothracia  knows  us, 

Cyrene  knows  us  well ; 
Our  house  in  gay  Tarentum 

Is  hung  each  morn  with  flowers ; 
High  o'er  the  masts  of  Syracuse 

Our  marble  portal  towers  ; 
But  by  the  proud  Eurotas 

Is  our  dear  native  home  ;  61° 

And  for  the  right  we  come  to  fight 

Before  the  ranks  of  Rome.' 


XXXV. 

So  answered  those  strange  horsemen, 

And  each  couched  low  his  spear ; 
And  forthwith  all  the  ranks  of  Rome 

Were  bold  and  of  good  chepr ; 
And  on  the  thirty  armies 

Came  wonder  and  affright, 
And  Ardea  wavered  on  the  left, 

And  Cora  on  the  right.  620 

'  Rome  to  the  charge  !'  cried  Aulus ; 

'  The  foe  begins  to  yield  ! 
Charge  for  the  hearth  of  Vesta  ! 

Charge  for  the  Golden  Shield  ! 
Let  no  man  stop  to  plunder, 

But  slay,  and  slay,  and  slay ; 
The  gods,  who  live  forever, 

Are  on  our  side  to-day.' 


82  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 


XXXVI. 

Then  the  fierce  trumpet-flourish 

From  earth  to  heaven  arose ;  630 

The  kites  know  well  the  long  stern  swell 

That  bids  the  Romans  close. 
Then  the  good  sword  of  Aulus 

Was  lifted  up  to  slay ; 
Then,  like  a  crag  down  Apennine, 

Rushed  Auster  through  the  fray. 
But  under  those  strange  horsemen 

Still  thicker  lay  the  slain, 
And  after  those  strange  horses 

Black  Auster  toiled  in  vain.  64o 

Behind  them  Rome's  long  battle 

Came  rolling  on  the  foe, 
Ensigns  dancing  wild  above, 

Blades  all  in  line  below. 
So  comes  the  Po  in  flood-time 

Upon  the  Celtic  plain  ; 
So  comes  the  squall,  blacker  than  night, 

Upon  the  Adrian  main. 
Now,  by  our  sire  Quirinus, 

It  was  a  goodly  sight  650 

To  see  the  thirty  standards 

Swept  down  the  tide  of  flight ! 
So  flies  the  spray  of  Adria 

When  the  black  squall  doth  blow  j 
So  corn-sheaves  in  the  flood-time 

Spin  down  the  whirling  Po. 
False  Sextus  to  the  mountains 

Turned  first  his  horse's  head; 
And  fast  fled  Ferentinum, 

And  fast  Lanuvium  fled.  660 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  83 

The  horsemen  of  Nomentum 

Spurred  hard  out  of  the  fray; 
The  footmen  of  Velitras 

Threw  shield  and  spear  away. 
And  underfoot  was  trampled, 

Amidst  the  mud  and  gore, 
The  banner  of  proud  Tusculum, 

That  never  stooped  before ; 
And  down  went  Flavius  Faustus, 

Who  led  his  stately  ranks  670 

From  where  the  apple-blossoms  wave 

On  Anio's  echoing  banks ; 
And  Tullus  of  Arpinum, 

Chief  of  the  Volscian  aids, 
And  Metius  with  the  long  fair  curls, 

The  love  of  Anxur's  maids  ; 
And  the  white  head  of  Vulso, 

The  great  Arician  seer  ; 
And  Nepos  of  Laurentum, 

The  hunter  of  the  deer  ;  680 

And  in  the  back  false  Sextus 

Felt  the  good  Roman  steel, 
And  wriggling  in  the  dust  he  died, 

Like  a  worm  beneath  the  wheel ; 
And  fliers  and  pursuers 

Were  mingled  in  a  mass ; 
And  far  away  the  battle 

Went  roaring  through  the  pass. 

XXXVII. 

Sempronius  Atratinus 

Sat  in  the  Eastern  Gate,  690 

Beside  him  were  three  Fathers, 

Each  in  his  chair  of  state — 


84  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Fabius,  whose  nine  stout  grandsons 

That  day  were  in  the  field, 
And  Manlius,  eldest  of  the  Twelve 

Who  keep  the  Golden  Shield  ; 
And  Sergius,  the  High  Pontiff, 

For  wisdom  far  renowned — 
In  all  Etruria's  colleges 

Was  no  such  pontiff  found.  700 

And  all  around  the  portal, 

And  high  above  the  wall, 
Stood  a  great  throng  of  people, 

But  sad  and  silent  all ; 
Young  lads  and  stooping  elders 

That  might  not  bear  the  mail, 
Matrons  with  lips  that  quivered, 

And  maids  with  faces  pale. 
Since  the  first  gleam  of  daylight, 

Sempronius  had  not  ceased  710 

To  listen  for  the  rushing 

Of  horse-hoofs  from  the  east. 
The  mist  of  eve  was  rising, 

The  sun  was  hastening  down, 
When  he  was  aware  of  a  princely  pair 

Fast  pricking  towards  the  town. 
So  like  they  were,  man  never 

Saw  twins  so  like  before ; 
Red  with  gore  their  armor  was, 

Their  steeds  were  red  with  gore.  720 

XXXVIII. 

'  Hail  to  the  great  Asylum  ! 

Hail  to  the  hill-tops  seven  ! 
Hail  to  the  fire  that  burns  for  aye, 

And  the  shield  that  fell  from  heaven ! 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.  85 

This  day,  by  Lake  Regillus, 

Under  the  Porcian  height, 
All  in  the  lands  of  Tusculum 

Was  fought  a  glorious  fight. 
To-morrow  your  Dictator 

Shall  bring  in  triumph  home  73° 

The  spoils  of  thirty  cities 

To  deck  the  shrines  of  Rome !' 

XXXIX. 

Then  burst  from  that  great  concourse 

A  shout  that  shook  the  towers, 
And  some  ran  north,  and  some  ran  south, 

Crying, '  The  day  is  ours  !' 
But  on  rode  these  strange  horsemen 

With  slow  and  lordly  pace, 
And  none  who  saw  their  bearing 

Durst  ask  their  name  or  race.  74° 

On  rode  they  to  the  Forum, 

While  laurel  boughs  and  flowers, 
From  house-tops  and  from  windows, 

Fell  on  their  crests  in  showers. 
When  they  drew  nigh  to  Vesta, 

They  vaulted  down  amain, 
And  washed  their  horses  in  the  well 

That  springs  by  Vesta's  fane. 
And  straight  again  they  mounted, 

And  rode  to  Vesta's  door  ;  75° 

Then,  like  a  blast,  away  they  passed, 

And  no  man  saw  them  more. 

XL. 

And  all  the  people  trembled, 
And  pale  grew  every  cheek  ; 


86  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

And  Sergius  the  High  Pontiff 

Alone  found  voice  to  speak  : 
*  The  gods  who  live  forever 

Have  fought  for  Rome  to-day  ! 
These  be  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

To  whom  the  Dorians  pray.  760 

Back  comes  the  chief  in  triumph 

Who  in  the  hour  of  fight 
Hath  seen  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

In  harness  on  his  right. 
Safe  comes  the  ship  to  haven, 

Through  billows  and  through  gales, 
If  once  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Sit  shining  on  the  sails. 
Wherefore  they  washed  their  horses 

In  Vesta's  holy  well,  77° 

Wherefore  they  rode  to  Vesta's  door, 

I  know,  but  may  not  tell. 
Here,  hard  by  Vesta's  temple, 

Build  we  a  stately  dome 
Unto  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Who  fought  so  well  for  Rome. 
And  when  the  months  returning 

Bring  back  this  day  of  fight, 
The  proud  ides  of  Quintilis, 

Marked  evermore  with  white,  780 

Unto  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Let  all  the  people  throng, 
With  chaplets  and  with  offerings, 

With  music  and  with  song ; 
And  let  the  doors  and  windows  ' 

Be  hung  with  garlands  all, 
And  let  the  knights  be  summoned 

To  Mars  without  the  wall ; 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 

Thence  let  them  ride  in  purple 

With  joyous  trumpet-sound, 
Each  mounted  on  his  war-horse 

And  each  with  olive  crowned, 
And  pass  in  solemn  order 

Before  the  sacred  dome 
Where  dwell  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 

Who  fought  so  well  for  Rome.' 


790 


ROMAN   SOLDIERS   (FROM   COLUMN    OF   TRAJAN). 


VIRGINIA. 

DAY  WHEREON  LUCIUS  SEXTIUS  SEXTINUS  LATE- 
RANUS  AND  CAIUS  LICINIUS  CALVUS  STOLO  WERE 
ELECTED  TRIBUNES  OF  THE  COMMONS  THE  FIFTH 
TIME,  IN  THE  YEAR  OF  THE  CITY  CCCLXXXII. 

YE  good  men  of  the  Commons, 

With  loving  hearts  and  true, 
Who  stand  by  the  bold  tribunes 

That  still  have  stood  by  you, 


VIRGINIA.  89 

Come,  make  a  circle  round  me, 

And  mark  my  tale  with  care — 
A  tale  of  what  Rome  once  hath  borne, 

Of  what  Rome  yet  may  bear. 
This  is  no  Grecian  fable, 

Of  fountains  running  wine,  10 

Of  maids  with  snaky  tresses, 

Or  sailors  turned  to  swine. 
Here  in  this  very  Forum, 

Under  the  noonday  sun, 
In  sight  of  all  the  people, 

The  bloody  deed  was  done. 
Old  men  still  creep  among  us 

Who  saw  that  fearful  day, 
Just  seventy  years  and  seven  ago, 

When  the  wicked  Ten  bare  sway.  20 

Of  all  the  wicked  Ten 

Still  the  names  are  held  accursed, 
And  of  all  the  wicked  Ten 

Appius  Claudius  was  the  worst. 
He  stalked  along  the  Forum 

Like  King  Tarquin  in  his  pride  ; 
Twelve  axes  waited  on  him, 

Six  marching  on  a  side. 
The  townsmen  shrank  to  right  and  left, 

And  eyed  askance  with  fear  30 

His  lowering  brow,  his  curling  mouth 

Which  alway  seemed  to  sneer. 
That  brow  of  hate,  that  mouth  of  scorn, 

Marks  all  the  kindred  still ; 
For  never  was  there  Claudius  yet 

But  wished  the  Commons  ill. 
Nor  lacks  he  fit  attendance ; 

For  close  behind  his  heels, 


MA  CAUL  AY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

With  outstretched  chin  and  crouching  pace, 

The  client  Marcus  steals,  4° 

His  loins  girt  up  to  run  with  speed, 

Be  the  errand  what  it  may, 
And  the  smile  flickering  on  his  cheek 

For  aught  his  lord  may  say. 
Such  varlets  pimp  and  jest  for  hire 

Among  the  lying  Greeks  ; 
Such  varlets  still  are  paid  to  hoot 

When  brave  Licinius  speaks. 
Where'er  ye  shed  the  honey, 

The  buzzing  flies  will  crowd  ;  50 

Where'er  ye  fling  the  carrion, 

The  raven's  croak  is  loud  ; 
Where'er  down  Tiber  garbage  floats, 

The  greedy  pike  ye  see  ; 
And  wheresoe'er  such  lord  is  found, 

Such  client  still  will  be. 

Just  then,  as  through  one  cloudless  chink 

In  a  black  stormy  sky 
Shines  out  the  dewy  morning-star, 

A  fair  young  girl  came  by.  60 

With  her  small  tablets  in  her  hand, 

And  her  satchel  on  her  arm, 
Home  she  went  bounding  from  the  school, 

Nor  dreamed  of  shame  or  harm  ; 
And  past  those  dreaded  axes 

She  innocently  ran, 
With  bright,  frank  brow  that  had  not  learned 

To  blush  at  gaze  of  man  ; 
And  up  the  Sacred  Street  she  turned, 

And  as  she  danced  along  70 

She  warbled  gayly  to  herself 

Lines  of  the  good  old  song, 


VIRGINIA.  gt 

How  for  a  sport  the  princes 

Came  spurring  from  the  camp, 
And  found  Lucrece  combing  the  fleece 

Under  the  midnight  lamp. 
The  maiden  sang  as  sings  the  lark 

When  up  he  darts  his  flight 
From  his  nest  in  the  green  April  corn 

To  meet  the  morning  light ;  &> 

And  Appius  heard  her  sweet  young  voice, 

And  saw  her  sweet  young  face, 
And  loved  her  with  the  accursed  love 

Of  his  accursed  race  : 
And  all  along  the  Forum, 

And  up  the  Sacred  Street, 
His  vulture  eye  pursued  the  trip 

Of  those  small  glancing  feet. 

*  *  *  *  * 

Over  the  Alban  mountains 

The  light  of  morning  broke  ;  90 

From  all  the  roofs  of  the  Seven  Hills 

Curled  the  thin  wreaths  of  smoke  : 
The  city  gates  were  opened  ; 

The  Forum,  all  alive 
With  buyers  and  with  sellers, 

Was  humming  like  a  hive; 
Blithely  on  brass  and  timber 

The  craftsman's  stroke  was  ringing, 
And  blithely  o'er  her  panniers 

The  market-girl  was  singing,  100 

And  blithely  young  Virginia 

Came  smiling  from  her  home — 
Ah  !  woe  for  young  Virginia, 

The  sweetest  maid  in  Rome! 
With  her  small  tablets  in  her  hand, 

And  her  satchel  on  her  arm, 


92  MACAULAY"S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Forth  she  went  bounding  to  the  school, 

Nor  dreamed  of  shame  or  harm. 
She  crossed  the  Forum  shining 

With  stalls  in  alleys  gay,  no 

And  just  had  reached  the  very  spot 

Whereon  I  stand  this  day, 
When  up  the  varlet  Marcus  came ; 

Not  such  as  when  erewhile 
He  crouched  behind  his  patron's  heels 

With  the  true  client  smile  ; 
He  came  with  lowering  forehead, 

Swollen  features,  and  clenched  fist, 
And  strode  across  Virginia's  path, 

And  caught  her  by  the  wrist.  MO 

Hard  strove  the  frighted  maiden 

And  screamed  with  look  aghast, 
And  at  her  scream  from  right  and  left 

The  folk  came  running  fast — 
The  money-changer  Crispus, 

With  his  thin  silver  hairs  ; 
And  Hanno  from  the  stately  booth 

Glittering  with  Punic  wares  ; 
And  the  strong  smith  Murcena, 

Grasping  a  half-forged  brand  ;  130 

And  Volero  the  flesher, 

His  cleaver  in  his  hand. 
All  came  in  wrath  and  wonder, 

For  all  knew  that  fair  child, 
And  as  she  passed  them  twice  a  day 

All  kissed  their  hands  and  smiled ; 
And  the  strong  smith  Muraena 

Gave  Marcus  such  a  blow, 
The  caitiff  reeled  three  paces  back, 

And  let  the  maiden  <ro.  140 


VIRGINIA.  93 

Yet  glared  he  fiercely  round  him, 

And  growled  in  harsh,  fell  tone, 
'  She  's  mine,  and  I  will  have  her; 

I  seek  but  for  mine  own. 
She  is  my  slave,  born  in  my  house, 

And  stolen  away  and  sold, 
The  year  of  the  sore  sickness, 

Ere  she  was  twelve  hours  old. 
'T  was  in  the  sad  September, 

The  month  of  wail  and  fright ;  «s° 

Two  augurs  were  borne  forth  that  morn, 

The  Consul  died  ere  night. 
I  wait  on  Appius  Claudius, 

I  waited  on  his  sire  ; 
Let  him  who  works  the  client  wrong 

Beware  the  patron's  ire !' 

So  spake  the  varlet  Marcus ; 

And  dread  and  silence  came 
On  all  the  people  at  the  sound 

Of  the  great  Claudian  name.  '60 

For  then  there  was  no  tribune 

To  speak  the  word  of  might, 
Which  makes  the  rich  man  tremble, 

And  guards  the  poor  man's  right. 
There  was  no  brave  Licinius, 

No  honest  Sextius  then  ; 
But  all  the  city  in  great  fear 

Obeyed  the  wicked  Ten. 
Yet  ere  the  varlet  Marcus 

Again  might  seize  the  maid,  17° 

Who  clung  tight  to  Muraena's  skirt 

And  sobbed  and  shrieked  for  aid, 
Forth  through  the  throng  of  gazers 

The  young  Icilius  pressed, 


94  MACAULAY'S  LAYS   OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

And  stamped  his  foot,  and  rent  his  gown, 

And  smote  upon  his  breast, 
And  sprang  upon  that  column, 

By  many  a  minstrel  sung, 
Whereon  three  mouldering  helmets, 

Three  rusting  swords,  are  hung,  180 

And  beckoned  to  the  people, 

And  in  bold  voice  and  clear 
Poured  thick  and  fast  the  burning  words 

Which  tyrants  quake  to  hear : 

'  Now,  by  your  children's  cradles, 

Now  by  your  fathers'  graves, 
Be  men  to-day,  Quirites, 

Or  be  forever  slaves ! 
For  this  did  Servius  give  us  laws ! 

For  this  did  Lucrece  bleed  ?  19° 

For  this  was  the  great  vengeance  wrought 

On  Tarquin's  evil  seed  ? 
For  this  did  those  false  sons  make  red 

The  axes  of  their  sire  ? 
For  this  did  Scaevola's  right  hand 

Hiss  in  the  Tuscan  fire? 
Shall  the  vile  fox-earth  awe  the  race 

That  stormed  the  lion's  den  ? 
Shall  we,  who  could  not  brook  one  lord, 

Crouch  to  the  wicked  Ten  ?  200 

O  for  that  ancient  spirit 

Which  curbed  the  Senate's  will ! 
O  for  the  tents  which  in  old  time 

Whitened  the  Sacred  Hill ! 
In  those  brave  days  our  fathers 

Stood  firmly  side  by  side  ; 
They  faced  the  Marcian  fury, 

They  tamed  the  Fabian  pride ; 


VIRGINIA. 


95 


They  drove  the  fiercest  Quinctius 

An  outcast  forth  from  Rome  ;  210 

They  sent  the  haughtiest  Claudius 

With  shivered  fasces  home. 
But  what  their  care  bequeathed  us 

Our  madness  flung  away; 
All  the  ripe  fruit  of  threescore  years 

Was  blighted  in  a  day. 
Exult,  ye  proud  patricians ! 

The  hard-fought  fight  is  o'er. 
We  strove  for  honors — 't  was  in  vain  ; 

For  freedom — 't  is  no  more.  wo 

No  crier  to  the  polling 

Summons  the  eager  throng  ; 
No  tribune  breathes  the  word  of  might 

That  guards  the  weak  from  wrong. 
Our  very  hearts,  that  were  so  high, 

Sink  down  beneath  your  will. 
Riches  and  lands,  and  power  and  state — 

Ye  have  them ;  keep  them  still. 
Still  keep  the  holy  fillets; 

Still  keep  the  purple  gown,  230 

The  axes  and  the  curule  chair, 

The  car  and  laurel  crown  ; 
Still  press  us  for  your  cohorts, 

And,  when  the  fight  is  done, 
Still  fill  your  garners  from  the  soil 

Which  our  good  swords  have  won. 
Still,  like  a  spreading  ulcer 

Which  leech-craft  may  not  cure, 
Let  your  foul  usance  eat  away 

The  substance  of  the  poor.  240 

Still  let  your  haggard  debtors 

Bear  all  their  fathers  bore  ; 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Still  let  your  dens  of  torment 

Be  noisome  as  of  yore — 
No  fire  when  Tiber  freezes, 

No  air  in  dog-star  heat ; 
And  store  of  rods  for  free-born  backs, 

And  holes  for  free-born  feet. 
Heap  heavier  still  the  fetters, 

Bar  closer  still  the  grate  ;  950 

Patient  as  sheep  we  yield  us  up 

Unto  your  cruel  hate. 
But,  by  the  shades  beneath  us, 

And  by  the  gods  above, 
Add  not  unto  your  cruel  hate 

Your  yet  more  cruel  love  ! 
Have  ye  not  graceful  ladies, 

Whose  spotless  lineage  springs 
From  consuls  and  high  pontiffs 

And  ancient  Alban  kings —  260 

Ladies  who  deign  not  on  our  paths 

To  set  their  tender  feet, 
Who  from  their  cars  look  down  with  scorn 

Upon  the  wondering  street, 
Who  in  Corinthian  mirrors 

Their  own  proud  smiles  behold, 
And  breathe  of  Capuan  odors, 

And  shine  with  Spanish  gold? 
Then  leave  the  poor  plebeian 

His  single  tie  to  life —  270 

The  sweet,  sweet  love  of  daughter, 

Of  sister,  and  of  wife  ; 
The  gentle  speech,  the  balm  for  all 

That  his  vexed  soul  endures  ; 
The  kiss,  in  which  he  half  forgets 

Even  such  a  yoke  as  yours. 


VIRGINIA. 


97 


Still  let  the  maiden's  beauty  swell 

The  father's  breast  with  pride  ; 
Still  let  the  bridegroom's  arms  infold 

An  unpolluted  bride.  280 

Spare  us  the  inexpiable  wrong, 

The  unutterable  shame, 
That  turns  the  coward's  heart  to  steel, 

The  sluggard's  blood  to  flame, 
Lest,  when  our  latest  hope  is  fled, 

Ye  taste  of  our  despair, 
And  learn  by  proof  in  some  wild  hour 

How  much  the  wretched  dare." 
****** 

Straightway  Virginius  led  the  maid 

A  little  space  aside,  290 

To  where  the  reeking  shambles  stood, 

Piled  up  with  horn  and  hide, 
Close  to  yon  low  dark  archway, 

Where  in  a  crimson  flood 
Leaps  down  to  the  great  sewer 

The  gurgling  stream  of  blood. 
Hard  by,  a  flesher  on  a  block 

Had  laid  his  whittle  down ; 
Virginius  caught  the  whittle  up, 

And  hid  it  in  his  gown.  300 

And  then  his  eyes  grew  very  dim, 

And  his  throat  began  to  swell, 
And  in  a  hoarse,  changed  voice  he  spake, 

'  Farewell,  sweet  child  !     Farewell ! 
O,  how  I  loved  my  darling  ! 

Though  stern  I  sometimes  be, 
To  thee,  thou  know'st,  I  was  not  so. 

Who  could  be  so  to  thee  ? 
And  how  my  darling  loved  me  ! 

How  glad  she  was  to  hear  310 


98  MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME, 

My  footstep  on  the  threshold 

When  I  came  back  last  year ! 
And  how  she  danced  with  pleasure 

To  see  my  civic  crown, 
And  took  my  sword  and  hung  it  up, 

And  brought  me  forth  my  gown  ! 
Now,  all  those  things  are  over — 

Yes,  all  thy  pretty  ways, 
Thy  needlework,  thy  prattle, 

Thy  snatches  of  old  lays ;  320 

And  none  will  grieve  when  I  go  forth, 

Or  smile  when  I  return, 
Or  watch  beside  the  old  man's  bed, 

Or  weep  upon  his  urn. 
The  house  that  was  the  happiest 

Within  the  Roman  walls, 
The  house  that  envied  not  the  wealth 

Of  Capua's  marble  halls, 
Now,  for  the  brightness  of  thy  smile, 

Must  have  eternal  gloom,  330 

And  for  the  music  of  thy  voice, 

The  silence  of  the  tomb. 
The  time  is  come.     See  how  he  points 

His  eager  hand  this  way ! 
See  how  his  eyes  gloat  on  thy  grief, 

Like  a  kite's  upon  the  prey ! 
With  all  his  wit,  he  little  deems 

That,  spurned,  betrayed,  bereft, 
Thy  father  hath  in  his  despair 

One  fearful  refuge  left.  340 

He  little  deems  that  in  this  hand 

I  clutch  what  still  can  save 
Thy  gentle  youth  from  taunts  and  blows, 

The  portion  of  the  slave; 


VIRGINIA.  gg 

Yea,  and  from  nameless  evil, 

That  passeth  taunt  and  blow — 
Foul  outrage  which  thou  knowest  not, 

Which  thou  shall  never  know. 
Then  clasp  me  round  the  neck  once  more, 

And  give  me  one  more  kiss ;  350 

And  now,  mine  own  dear  little  girl, 

There  is  no  way  but  this.' 
With  that  he  lifted  high  the  steel 

And  smote  her  in  the  side, 
And  in  her  blood  she  sank  to  earth, 

And  with  one  sob  she  died. 

Then,  for  a  little  moment, 

All  people  held  their  breath, 
And  through  the  crowded  Forum 

Was  stillness  as  of  death ;  36o 

And  in  another  moment 

Brake  forth  from  one  and  all 
A  cry  as  if  the  Volscians 

Were  coming  o'er  the  wall. 
Some  with  averted  faces 

Shrieking  fled  home  amain  ; 
Some  ran  to  call  a  leech, 

And  some  ran  to  lift  the  slain  ; 
Some  felt  her  lips  and  little  wrist, 

If  life  might  there  be  found  ;  370 

And  some  tore  up  their  garments  fast, 

And  strove  to  stanch  the  wound. 
In  vain  they  ran  and  felt  and  stanched  ; 

For  never  truer  blow 
That  good  right  arm  had  dealt  in  fight 

Against  a  Volscian  foe. 

When  Appius  Claudius  saw  that  deed, 
He  shuddered  and  sank  down, 


,oo         MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

And  hid  his  face  some  little  space 

With  the  corner  of  his  gown,  s80 

Till,  with  white  lips  and  bloodshot  eyes, 

Virginius  tottered  nigh, 
And  stood  before  the  judgment-seat, 

And  held  the  knife  on  high  : 
'  O  dwellers  in  the  nether  gloom, 

Avengers  of  the  slain, 
By  this  dear  blood  I  cry  to  you, 

Do  right  between  us  twain  ; 
And  even  as  Appius  Claudius 

Hath  dealt  by  me  and  mine,  39° 

Deal  you  by  Appius  Claudius 

And  all  the  Claudian  line !' 
So  spake  the  slayer  of  his  child, 

And  turned  and  went  his  way  ; 
But  first  he  cast  one  haggard  glance 

To  where  the  body  lay, 
And  writhed,  and  groaned  a  fearful  groan, 

And  then,  with  steadfast  feet, 
Strode  right  across  the  market-place 

Unto  the  Sacred  Street.  400 

Then  up  sprang  Appius  Claudius  : 

'  Stop  him,  alive  or  dead  ! 
Ten  thousand  pounds  of  copper 

To  the  man  who  brings  his  head.' 
He  looked  upon  his  clients, 

But  none  would  work  his  will ; 
He  looked  upon  his  lictors, 

But  they  trembled  and  stood  still. 
And,  as  Virginius  through  the  press 

His  way  in  silence  cleft,  410 

Ever  the  mighty  multitude 

Fell  back  to  right  and  left. 


VIRGINIA.  ioi 

And  he  hath  passed  in  safety 

Unto  his  woful  home, 
And  there  ta'en  horse  to  tell  the  camp 

What  deeds  are  done  in  Rome. 

By  this  the  flood  of  people 

Was  swollen  from  every  side, 
And  streets  and  porches  round  were  filled 

With  that  o'erflowing  tide;  420 

And  close  around  the  body 

Gathered  a  little  train 
Of  them  that  were  the  nearest 

Arid  clearest  to  the  slain. 
They  brought  a  bier,  and  hung  it 

With  many  a  cypress  crown, 
And  gently  they  uplifted  her, 

And  gently  laid  her  down. 
The  face  of  Appius  Claudius  wore 

The  Claudian  scowl  and  sneer,  430 

And  in  the  Claudian  note  he  cried, 

'  What  doth  this  rabble  here  ? 
Have  they  no  crafts  to  mind  at  home, 

That  hitherward  they  stray? 
Ho!  lictors,  clear  the  market-place, 

And  fetch  the  corpse  away !' 
The  voice  of  grief  and  fury 

Till  then  had  not  been  loud ; 
But  a  deep  sullen  murmur 

Wandered  among  the  crowd,  440 

Like  the  moaning  noise  that  goes  before 

The  whirlwind  on  the  deep, 
Or  the  growl  of  a  fierce  watch-dog 

But  half-aroused  from  sleep. 
But  when  the  lictors  at  that  word, 

Tall  yoemen  all  and  strong, 


102         MACAULAVS  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Each  with  his  axe  and  sheaf  of  twigs, 

Went  down  into  the  throng, 
Those  old  men  say  who  saw  that  day 

Of  sorrow  and  of  sin  45° 

That  in  the  Roman  Forum 

Was  never  such  a  din. 
The  wailing,  hooting,  cursing, 

The  howls  of  grief  and  hate,    ' 
Were  heard  beyond  the  Pincian  Hill, 

Beyond  the  Latin  Gate. 
But  close  around  the  body, 

Where  stood  the  little  train 
Of  them  that  were  the  nearest    ' 

And  dearest  to  the  slain,  460 

No  cries  were  there,  but  teeth  set  fast, 

Low  whispers  and  black  frowns, 
And  breaking-up  of  benches 

And  girding-up  of  gowns. 
'T  was  well  the  lictors  might  not  pierce 

To  where  the  maiden  lay, 
Else  surely  had  they  been  all  twelve 

Torn  limb  from  limb  that  day. 
Right  glad  they  were  to  struggle  back, 

Blood  streaming  from  their  heads,  470 

With  axes  all  in  splinters, 

And  raiment  all  in  shreds. 
Then  Appius  Claudius  gnawed  his  lip, 

And  the  blood  left  his  cheek, 
And  thrice  he  beckoned  with  his  hand, 

And  thrice  he  strove  to  speak ; 
And  thrice  the  tossing  Forum 

Set  up  a  frightful  yell : 
'  See,  see,  thou  dog !  what  thou  hast  clone, 

And  hide  thy  shame  in  hell !  48o 


VIRGINIA.  103 

Thou  that  wouldst  make  our  maidens  slaves 

Must  first  make  slaves  of  men. 
Tribunes!     Hurrah  for  tribunes! 

Down  with  the  wicked  Ten  !' 
And  straightway,  thick  as  hailstones, 

Came  whizzing  through  the  air 
Pebbles  and  bricks  and  potsherds 

All  round  the  curule  chair ; 
And  upon  Appius  Claudius 

Great  fear  and  trembling  came,  490 

For  never  was  a  Claudius  yet 

Brave  against  aught  but  shame. 
Though  the  great  houses  love  us  not, 

We  own,  to  do  them  right, 
That  the  great  houses,  all  save  one, 

Have  borne  them  well  in  fight. 
Still  Caius  of  Corioli, 

His  triumphs  and  his  wrongs, 
His  vengeance  and  his  mercy, 

Live  in  our  camp-fire  songs.  s°° 

Beneath  the  yoke  of  Furius  oft 

Have  Gaul  and  Tuscan  bowed  ; 
And  Rome  may  bear  the  pride  of  him 

Of  whom  herself  is  proud. 
But  evermore  a  Claudius 

Shrinks  from  a  stricken  field, 
And  changes  color  like  a  maid 

At  sight  of  sword  and  shield. 
The  Claudian  triumphs  all  were  won 

Within  the  city  towers  ;  s>o 

The  Claudian  yoke  was  never  pressed 

On  any  necks  but  ours. 
A  Cossus,  like  a  wild-cat, 

Springs  ever  at  the  face  ; 


104         MAC  A  (/LAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

A  Fabius  rushes  like  a  boar 

Against  the  shouting  chase  ; 
But  the  vile  Claudian  litter, 

Raging  with  currish  spite, 
Still  yelps  and  snaps  at  those  who  run. 

Still  runs  from  those  who  smite.  52o 

So  now  'twas  seen  of  Appius; 

When  stones  began  to  fly, 
He  shook  and  crouched,  and  wrung  his  hands, 

And  smote  upon  his  thigh: 
'  Kind  clients,  honest  lictors, 

Stand  by  me  in  this  fray ! 
Must  I  be  torn  in  pieces  ? 

Home,  home,  the  nearest  way !' 
While  yet  he  spake,  and  looked  around 

With  a  bewildered  stare,  S3o 

Four  sturdy  lictors  put  their  necks 

Beneath  the  curule  chair ; 
And  fourscore  clients  on  the  left, 

And  fourscore  on  the  right, 
Arrayed  themselves  with  swords  and  staves, 

And  loins  girt  up  for  fight. 
But,  though  without  or  staff  or  sword, 

So  furious  was  the  throng 
That  scarce  the  train  with  might  and  main 

Could  bring  their  lord  along.  540 

Twelve  times  the  crowd  made  at  him, 

Five  times  they  seized  his  gown  ; 
Small  chance  was  his  to  rise  again 

If  once  they  got  him  down  ; 
And  sharper  came  the  pelting, 

And  evermore  the  yell — 
'  Tribunes !  we  will  have  tribunes !' 

Rose  with  a  louder  swell. 


VIRGINIA. 

And  the  chair  tossed  as  tosses 

A  bark  with  tattered  sail 
When  raves  the  Adriatic 

Beneath  an  eastern  gale, 
When  the  Calabrian  sea-marks 

Are  lost  in  clouds  of  spume, 
And  the  great  Thunder-cape  has  donned 

His  veil  of  inky  gloom. 
One  stone  hit  Appius  in  the  mouth, 

And  one  beneath  the  ear, 
And  ere  he  reached  Mount  Palatine 

He  swooned  with  pain  and  fear. 
His  cursed  head,  that  he  was  wont 

To  hold  so  high  with  pride, 
Now,  like  a  drunken  man's,  hung  down 

And  swayed  from  side  to  side ; 
And  when  his  stout  retainers 

Had  brought  him  to  his  door, 
His  face  and  neck  were  all  one  cake 

Of  filth  and  clotted  gore. 
As  Appius  Claudius  was  that  day, 

So  may  his  grandson  be  ! 
God  send  Rome  one  such  other  sight, 

And  send  me  there  to  see  ! 


55° 


560 


TI  Ml'LE  OF   VESTA    (FROM    A   COIN). 


THK   WOLF   OF    TUB    CAPITOL. 


THE    PROPHECY   OF   CAPYS. 

A  LAY  SUNG  AT  THE  BANQUET  IN  THE  CAPITOL,  ON 
THE  DAY  WHEREON  MANIUS  CURIUS  DENTATUS,  A 
SECOND  TIME  CONSUL,  TRIUMPHED  OVER  KING  PYR- 
RHUS  AND  THE  TARENTINES,  IN  THE  YEAR  OF  THE 
CITY  CCCCLXXIX. 


Now  slain  is  King  Amulius 

Of  the  great  Sylvian  line, 
Who  reigned  in  Alba  Longa 

On  the  throne  of  Aventine. 
Slain  is  the  Pontiff  Gamers, 

Who  spake  the  words  of  doom  : 
'  The  children  to  the  Tiber, 

The  mother  to  the  tomb.' 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  Io>j 

II. 

In  Alba's  lake  no  fisher 

His  net  to-day  is  flinging  ;  10 

On  the  dark  rind  of  Alba's  oaks 

To-day  no  axe  is  ringing ; 
The  yoke  hangs  o'er  the  manger, 

The  scythe  lies  in  the  hay ; 
Through  all  the  Alban  villages 

No  work  is  done  to-day. 

in. 
And  every  Alban  burgher 

Hath  donned  his  whitest  gown  ; 
And  every  head  in  Alba 

Weareth  a  poplar  crown  ;  20 

And  every  Alban  door-post 

With  boughs  and  flowers  is  gay  ; 
For  to-day  the  dead  are  living, 

The  lost  are  found  to-day. 

IV. 

They  were  doomed  by  a  bloody  king, 

They  were  doomed  by  a  lying  priest ; 
They  were  cast  on  the  raging  flood, 

They  were  tracked  by  the  raging  beast : 
Raging  beast  and  raging  flood 

Alike  have  spared  the  prey  ;  30 

And  to-day  the  dead  are  living, 

The  lost  are  found  to-day. 

v. 

The  troubled  river  knew  them, 

And  smoothed  his  yellow  foam, 
And  gently  rocked  the  cradle 

That  bore  the  fate  of  Rome. 


108         MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

The  ravening  she-wolf  knew  them, 

And  licked  them  o'er  and  o'er, 
And  gave  them  of  her  own  fierce  milk, 

Rich  with  raw  flesh  and  gore.  «<> 

Twenty  winters,  twenty  springs, 

Since  then  have  rolled  away ; 
And  to-day  the  dead  are  living, 

The  lost  are  found  to-day. 

VI. 

Blithe  it  was  to  see  the  twins, 

Right  goodly  youths  and  tall, 
Marching  from  Alba  Longa 

To  their  old  grandsire's  hall. 
Along  their  path  fresh  garlands 

Are  hung  from  tree  to  tree ;  so 

Before  them  stride  the  pipers, 

Piping  a  note  of  glee. 

VII. 

On  the  right  goes  Romulus, 

With  arms  to  the  elbows  red, 
And  in  his  hands  a  broadsword, 

And  on  the  blade  a  head — 
A  head  in  an  iron  helmet, 

With  horse-hair  hanging  down, 
A  shaggy  head,  a  swarthy  head, 

Fixed  in  a  ghastly  frown —  60 

The  head  of  King  Amulius 

Of  the  great  Sylvian  line, 
Who  reigned  in  Alba  Longa 

On  the  throne  of  Aventine. 

VIII. 

On  the  left  side  goes  Remus, 
With  wrists  and  fingers  red, 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  109 

And  in  his  hand  a  boar-spear, 

And  on  the  point  a  head — 
A  wrinkled  head  and  aged, 

With  silver  beard  and  hair,  70 

And  holy  fillets  round  it 

Such  as  the  pontiffs  wear — 
The  head  of  ancient  Gamers, 

Who  spake  the  words  of  doom  : 
'  The  children  to  the  Tiber  ; 

The  mother  to  the  tomb.' 

IX. 

Two  and  two  behind  the  twins 

Their  trusty  comrades  go, 
Four-and-forty  valiant  men, 

With  club  and  axe  and  bow.  80 

On  each  side  every  hamlet 

Pours  forth  its  joyous  crowd, 
Shouting  lads  and  baying  dogs, 

And  children  laughing  loud, 
And  old  men  weeping  fondly 

As  Rhea's  boys  go  by, 
And  maids  who  shriek  to  see  the  heads, 

Yet,  shrieking,  press  more  nigh. 

x. 

So  they  marched  along  the  lake ; 

They  marched  by  fold  and  stall,  90 

By  cornfield  and  by  vineyard, 

Unto  the  old  man's  hall. 

XI. 

In  the  hall-gate  sat  Capys, 

Capys  the  sightless  seer  ; 
From  head  to  foot  he  trembled 

As  Romulus  drew  near. 


no         MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

And  up  stood  stiff  his  thin  white  hair, 
And  his  blind  eyes  flashed  fire : 

'  Hail !  foster-child  of  the  wondrous  nurse  ! 
Hail!  son  of  the  wondrous  sire!  i<x 

XII. 

'  But  thou — what  dost  thou  here 

In  the  old  man's  peaceful  hall? 
What  doth  the  eagle  in  the  coop, 

The  bison  in  the  stall  ? 
Our  corn  fills  many  a  garner  ; 

Our  vines  clasp  many  a  tree ; 
Our  flocks  are  white  on  many  a  hill ; 

But  these  are  not  for  thee. 

XIII. 

'  For  thee  no  treasure  ripens 

.    In  the  Tartessian  mine;  n< 

For  thee  no  ship  brings  precious  bales 

Across  the  Libyan  brine ; 
Thou  shalt  not  drink  from  amber, 

Thou  shalt  not  rest  on  down  ; 
Arabia  shall  not  steep  thy  locks, 

Nor  Sidon  tinge  thy  gown. 

XIV. 

'  Leave  gold  and  myrrh  and  jewels, 

Rich  table  and  soft  bed, 
To  them  who  of  man's  seed  are  born, 

Whom  woman's  milk  hath  fed.  iac 

Thou  wast  not  made  for  lucre, 

For  pleasure,  nor  for  rest ; 
Thou,  that  art  sprung  from  the  War-god's  loins, 

And  hast  tugged  at  the  she-wolfs  breast. 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  IX1 

XV. 

'  From  sunrise  unto  sunset 

All  earth  shall  hear  thy  fame ; 
A  glorious  city  thou  shalt  build, 

And  name  it  by  thy  name  : 
And  there,  unquenched  through  ages, 

Like  Vesta's  sacred  fire,  130 

Shall  live  the  spirit  of  thy  nurse, 

The  spirit  of  thy  sire. 

XVI. 

'  The  ox  toils  through  the  furrow, 

Obedient  to  the  goad  ; 
The  patient  ass  up  flinty  paths 

Plods  with  his  weary  load ; 
With  whine  and  bound  the  spaniel 

His  master's  whistle  hears; 
And  the  sheep  yields  her  patiently 

To  the  loud  clashing  shears.  14° 

XVII. 

'But  thy  nurse  will  hear  no  master, 

Thy  nurse  will  bear  no  load ; 
And  woe  to  them  that  shear  her, 

And  woe  to  them  that  goad ! 
When  all  the  pack,  loud  baying, 

Her  bloody  lair  surrounds, 
She  dies  in  silence,  biting  hard, 

Amidst  the  dying  hounds. 

XVIII. 

'  Pomona  loves  the  orchard, 

And  Liber  loves  the  vine ;  150 

And  Pales  loves  the  straw-built  shed 

Warm  with  the  breath  of  kine  ; 


112          MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

And  Venus  loves  the  whispers 

Of  plighted  youth  and  maid, 
In  April's  ivory  moonlight 

Beneath  the  chestnut  shade. 

XIX. 

'  But  thy  father  loves  the  clashing 

Of  broadsword  and  of  shield  ; 
He  loves  to  drink  the  steam  that  reeks 

From  the  fresh  battle-field  ;  160 

He  smiles  a  smile  more  dreadful 

Than  his  own  dreadful  frown, 
When  he  sees  the  thick  black  cloud  of  smoke 

Go  up  from  the  conquered  town. 

xx. 

'And  such  as  is  the  War-god, 

The  author  of  thy  line, 
And  such  as  she  who  suckled  thee, 

Even  such  be  thou  and  thine ! 
Leave  to  the  soft  Campanian 

His  baths  and  his  perfumes  ;  170 

Leave  to  the  sordid  race  of  Tyre 

Their  dyeing-vats  and  looms ; 
Leave  to  the  sons  of  Carthage 

The  rudder  and  the  oar; 
Leave  to  the  Greek  his  marble  nymphs 

And  scrolls  of  wordy  lore. 

XXI. 

'Thine,  Roman,  is  the  pilum  ; 

Roman,  the  sword  is  thine, 
The  even  trench,  the  bristling  mound, 

The  legion's  ordered  line  ;  i&> 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  113 

And  thine  the  wheels  of  triumph 

Which  with  their  laurelled  train 
Move  slowly  up  the  shouting  streets 

To  Jove's  eternal  fane. 

XXII. 

'  Beneath  thy  yoke  the  Volscian 

Shall  vail  his  lofty  brow; 
Soft  Capua's  curled  revellers 

Before  thy  chairs  shall  bow ; 
The  Lucumoes  of  Arnus 

Shall  quake  thy  rods  to  see ;  19° 

And  the  proud  Samnite's  heart  of  steel 

Shall  yield  to  only  thee. 

XXIII. 

'  The  Gaul  shall  come  against  thee 

From  the  land  of  snow  and  night ; 
Thou  shalt  give  his  fair-haired  armies 

To  the  raven  and  the  kite. 

XXIV. 

'  The  Greek  shall  come  against  thee, 

The  conqueror  of  the  East. 
Beside  him  stalks  to  battle 

The  huge  earth-shaking  beast —  *» 

The  beast  on  whom  the  castle 

With  all  its  guards  doth  stand, 
The  beast  who  hath  between  his  eyes 

The  serpent  for  a  hand. 
First  march  the  bold  Epirotes, 

Wedged  close  with  shield  and  spear, 
And  the  ranks  of  false  Tarentum 

Are  glittering  in  the  rear. 


MAC 'A (/LAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 
XXV. 

'  The  ranks  of  false  Tarentum 

Like  hunted  sheep  shall  fly;  2'° 

In  vain  the  bold  Epirotes 

Shall  round  their  standards  die ; 
And  Apennine's  gray  vultures 

Shall  have  a  noble  feast 
On  the  fat  and  the  eyes 

Of  the  huge  earth-shaking  beast. 

XXVI. 

'  Hurrah  for  the  good  weapons 
•  That  keep  the  War-god's  land  ! 
Hurrah  for  Rome's  stout  pilum 

In  a  stout  Roman  hand !  "° 

Hurrah  for  Rome's  short  broadsword 

That  through  the  thick  array 
Of  levelled  spears  and  serried  shields 

Hews  deep  its  gory  way ! 

XXVII. 

'  Hurrah  for  the  great  triumph 

That  stretches  many  a  mile  ! 
Hurrah  for  the  wan  captives 

That  pass  in  endless  file  ! 
Ho !  bold  Epirotes,  whither 

Hath  the  Red  King  ta'en  flight  ?  =30 

Ho  !  dogs  of  false  Tarentum, 

Is  not  the  gown  washed  white  ? 

XXVIII. 

'  Hurrah  for  the  great  triumph 

That  stretches  many  a  mile  ! 
Hurrah  for  the  rich  dye  of  Tyre, 

And  the  fine  web  of  Nile, 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  n5 

The  helmets  gay  with  plumage 

Torn  from  the  pheasant's  wings, 
The  belts  set  thick  with  starry  gems 

That  shone  on  Indian  kings,  24° 

The  urns  of  massy  silver, 

The  goblets  rough  with  gold, 
The  many-colored  tablets  bright 

With  loves  and  wars  of  old, 
The  stone  that  breathes  and  struggles, 

The  brass  that  seems  to  speak  ! — 
Such  cunning  they  who  dwell  on  high 

Have  given  unto  the  Greek. 

XXIX. 

'  Hurrah  for  Man i us  Curius, 

The  bravest  son  of  Rome,  250 

Thrice  in  utmost  need  sent  forth, 

Thrice  drawn  in  triumph  home ! 
Weave,  weave,  for  Manius  Curius 

The  third  embroidered  gown  ; 
Make  ready  the  third  lofty  car, 

And  twine  the  third  green  crown  ; 
And  yoke  the  steeds  of  Rosea 

With  necks  like  a  bended  bow; 
And  deck  the  bull,  Mevania's  bull, 

The  bull  as  white  as  snow.  360 

XXX. 

'Blest  and  thrice  blest  the  Roman 

Who  sees  Rome's  brightest  day, 
Who  sees  that  long  victorious  pomp 

Wind  down  the  Sacred  Way, 
And  through  the  bellowing  Forum, 

And  round  the  Suppliants'  Grove, 
Up  to  the  everlasting  gates 

Of  Capitolian  Jove. 


MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 


XXXI. 
'Then  where  o'er  two  bright  havens 

The  towers  of  Corinth  frown  ; 
Where  the  gigantic  King  of  Day 

On  his  own  Rhodes  looks  down ; 
Where  soft  Orontes  murmurs 

Beneath  the  laurel  shades ; 
Where  Nile  reflects  the  endless  length 

Of  dark-red  colonnades ; 
Where  in  the  still  deep  water, 

Sheltered  from  waves  and  blasts, 
Bristles  the  dusky  forest 

Of  Byrsa's  thousand  masts; 
Where  fur-clad  hunters  wander 

Amidst  the  Northern  ice ; 
Where  through  the  sand  of  Morning-land 

The  camel  bears  the  spice ; 
Where  Atlas  flings  his  shadow 

Far  o'er  the  western  foam, 
Shall  be  great  fear  on  all  who  hear 

The  mighty  name  of  Rome.' 


280 


CASTOR   AND    POLLUX. 


NOTES. 


ABBREVIATIONS   USED  IN   THE   NOTES. 

A.  S.,  Anglo-Saxon. 
Cf.  (confer),  compare. 
Fol. ,  following. 
Id.  (idem),  the  same. 

Skeat,  W.  W.  Skeat's  Concise  Etymological  Dictionary  (Harper's  ed.,  1882) ;  or  the 
larger  work  (Oxford,  1882). 

Other  abbreviations  will  be  readily  understood.  The  line-numbers  in  the  references 
to  Shakespeare  are  those  of  the  "Globe"  edition,  which  vary  from  those  of  Rolfe's 
edition  only  in  scenes  that  are  wholly  or  partly  in  frost. 


i'  "^  •  "^"-Tll  -«5 
WALLS  OF  ROME,  FROM   THE   INSIDE. 


NOTES. 


IIORATIUS. 

THE  Lays  were  published  in  1842,  and  were  popular  from  the  first. 
Trevelyan  (Life  of  Afacatilay,  Harper's  ed.  vol.  ii.  p.  1 1 1)  says  :  "  Eighteen 
thousand  of  the  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  were  sold  in  ten  years  ;  forty  thou- 
sand in  twenty  years  ;  and  by  June,  1875,  upward  of  a  hundred  thousand 
copies  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  readers.  But  it  is  a  work  of  super- 
fluity to  measure  by  statistics  the  success  of  poems  every  line  of  which 
is,  and  long  has  been,  too  hackneyed  for  quotation." 

Macaulay's  introduction  to  Horatius  is  as  follows: 

"  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  among  those  parts  of  early  Roman  his- 
tory which  had  a  poetical  origin  was  the  legend  of  Horatius  Codes.  We 
have  several  versions  of  the  story,  and  these  versions  differ  from  each 
other  in  points  of  no  small  importance.  Polybius,  there  is  reason  to  be- 
lieve, heard  the  tale  recited  over  the  remains  of  some  consul  or  praetor 
descended  from  the  old  Horatian  patricians ;  for  he  introduces  it  as  a 
specimen  of  the  narratives  with  which  the  Romans  were  in  the  habit  of 
embellishing  their  funeral  oratory.  It  is  remarkable  that,  according  to 


120  NOTES. 

him,  Horatius  defended  the  bridge  alone,  and  perished  in  the  waters. 
According  to  the  chronicles  which  Livy  and  Uionysius  followed,  Hora- 
tius had  two  companions,  swam  safe  to  shore,  and  was  loaded  with 
honors  and  rewards. 

"  These  discrepancies  are  easily  explained.  Our  own  literature,  indeed, 
will  furnish  an  exact  parallel  to  what  may  have  taken  place  at  Rome.  It 
is  highly  probable  that  the  memory  of  the  war  of  Porsena  was  preserved 
by  compositions  much  resembling  the  two  ballads  which  stand  first  in 
the  Reliques  of  Ancient  English  Poetry.  In  both  those  ballads  the  Eng- 
lish, commanded  by  the  Percy,  fight  with  the  Scots,  commanded  by  the 
Douglas.  In  one  of  the  ballads  the  Douglas  is  killed  by  a  nameless 
English  archer,  and  the  Percy  by  a  Scottish  spearman ;  in  the  other,  the 
Percy  slays  the  Douglas  in  single  combat,  and  is  himself  made  prisoner. 
In  the  former,  Sir  Hugh  Montgomery  is  shot  through  the  heart  by  a 
Northumbrian  bowman ;  in  the  latter  he  is  taken  and  exchanged  for  the 
Percy.  Yet  both  the  ballads  relate  to  the  same  event,  and  that  an  event 
which  probably  took  place  within  the  memory  of  persons  who  were  alive 
when  both  the  ballads  were  made.  One  of  the  minstrels  says, 

'  Old  men  that  knowen  the  grounde  well  yenoughe 
Call  it  the  battell  of  Otlerburn : 
At  Otterburn  began  this  spurne 
Upon  a  monnyn  day. 
Ther  was  the  dougghte  Doglas  slean  : 
The  Perse  never  went  away.' 

The  other  poet  sums  up  the  event  in  the  following  lines : 

1  Thys  fraye  bygan  at  Otterborne 
Bytwene  the  nyghte  and  the  day: 
Ther  the  Dowglas  lost  hys  lyfe, 
And  the  Percy  was  lede  away." 

"It  is  by  no  means  unlikely  that  there  were  two  old  Roman  lays  about 
the  defence  of  the  bridge ;  and  that,  while  the  story  which  Livy  has  trans- 
mitted to  us  was  preferred  by  the  multitude,  the  other,  which  ascribed 
the  whole  glory  to  Horatius  alone,  may  have  been  the  favorite  with  the 
Horatian  house. 

"  The  following  ballad  is  supposed  to  have  been  made  about  a  hundred 
and  twenty  years  after  the  war  which  it  celebrates,  and  just  before  the  tak- 
ing of  Rome  by  the  Gauls.  The  author  seems  to  have  been  an  honest 
citizen,  proud  of  the  military  glory  of  his  country,  sick  of  the  disputes  of 
factions,  and  much  given  to  pining  after  good  old  times  which  had  never 
really  existed.  The  allusion,  however,  to  the  partial  manner  in  which 
the  public  lands  were  allotted  could  proceed  only  from  a  plebeian  ;  and 
the  allusion  to  the  fraudulent  sale  of  spoils  marks  the  date  of  the  poem, 
and  shows  that  the  poet  shared  in  the  general  discontent  with  which  the 
proceedings  of  Camillus,  after  the  taking  of  Veii,  were  regarded. 

"The  penultimate  syllable  of  the  name  Porsena  has  been  shortened  in 
spite  of  the  authority  of  Niebuhr,  who  pronounces,  without  assigning  any 
ground  for  his  opinion,  that  Martial  was  guilty  of  a  decided  blunder  in 
the  line, 

4  Hanc  spectare  rnanum  Porsena  non  potuit.' 


HORATIUS.  ,2I 

It  is  not  easy  to  understand  how  any  modern  scholar,  whatever  his  at- 
tainments may  be — and  those  of  Niebuhr  were  undoubtedly  immense — 
can  venture  to  pronounce  that  Martial  did  not  know  the  quantity  of  a 
word  which  he  must  have  uttered  and  heard  uttered  a  hundred  times  be- 
fore he  left  school.  Niebuhr  seems  also  to  have  forgotten  that  Martial 
has  fellow-culprits  to  keep  him  in  countenance.  Horace  has  committed 
the  same  decided  blunder ;  for  he  gives  us,  as  a  pure  iambic  line, 

'  Minacis  aut  Etrusca  Porsenae  manus.' 
Silius  Italicus  has  repeatedly  offended  in  the  same  way,  as  when  he  says, 

1  Cemitur  effugiens  ardentem  Porsena  dextram ;' 
and,  again, 

'  Clusinutn  vulgus,  cum,  Porsena  magne,  jubebas.' 

A  modern  writer  may  be  content  to  err  in  such  company. 

"Niebuhr's  supposition  that  each  of  the  three  defenders  of  the  bridge 
was  the  representative  of  one  of  the  three  patrician  tribes  is  both  ingen- 
ious and  probable,  and  has  been  adopted  in  the  following  poem." 

I.  Lars  Porsena.  Lars,  Lar,  or  Larth  was  a  title  of  honor  given  to  near- 
ly all  the  Etruscan  kings.  Another  example  of  it  isLar  Toltimnius,  King 
of  Veil,  whom  Cossus  slew  in  single  combat  (see  on  190  below).  It  is 
the  same  word  as  the  English  Lord.  Cf.  Tennyson,  Princess,  ii.  113: 
"  That  lay  at  wine  with  Lar  and  Lucumo." 

Porstna  is  also  written  Par  senna  and  Porsina.  As  Macaulay  remarks, 
the  form  with  the  short  e  occurs  in  Martial  (i.  22.  6),  Horace  (Efodes, 
16.  4),  and  Silius  (viii.  391,  480  ;  x.  484,  502).  Porsenna  occurs  in  Virgil 
(sEneiJ,  viii.  646),  etc.  The  Greek  writers  always  make  the  penult  long. 

Porsena  was  king  of  the  Etruscan  town  of  Clusium,  where,  according 
to  the  legend,  Tarquinius  Superbus  applied  for  help,  after  seeking  it  in 
vain  from  Veii  and  Tarquinii.  Porsena,  as  Tacitus  tells  us  (Hist.  iii.  72), 
completely  conquered  Rome.  The  tale  of  his  repulse  by  Horatius  and 
his  two  companions  was  an  invention  of  Roman  vanity,  to  conceal  the 
great  disaster  of  their  city.  This  expedition  of  Porsena  was  kept  in  the 
minds  of  the  Romans  of  later  times  by  the  custom  at  auctions  of  offering 
for  sale  first  "  the  goods  of  King  Porsena."  As  Niebuhr  thinks,  this  may 
have  arisen  from  the  circumstance  that,  when  the  Romans  threw  off  the 
Tuscan  yoke,  they  obtained  possession  of  property  within  the  city  be- 
longing to  Porsena,  which  they  sold  at  auction. 

Clusium  became  prominent  in  the  time  of  Porsena  from  the  personal 
abilities  of  that  monarch,  who  is  represented  by  Livy  simply  as  ruler  of 
Clusium,  and  is  called  King  of  the  Etruscans  only  by  later  rhetorical 
writers.  It  was  an  inland  city  of  Etruria,  in  the  valley  of  the  Clanis  (cf. 
38  below),  and  was  one  of  the  twelve  cities  of  the  Etruscan  confederation. 
In  the  time  of  Tarquinius  Priscus,  when  she  gave  Rome  a  dynasty,  Etruria 
possessed  the  land  of  the  Volscians  and  the  whole  of  Campania.  This 
great  extent  of  territory  was  divided  into  Etruria  proper,  Etruria  Circum- 
padana,  and  Etruria  Campaniana.  Each  of  these  districts  was  divided 
into  twelve  states,  each  represented  by  a  city.  No  list  of  the  twelve 
cities  of  Etruria  proper  has  been  given  by  ancient  writers.  They  were 


122  NOTES. 

probably  Tarquinii,  Veii,  Falerii,  Caere,  Volsinii,  Vetulonia,  Rasellae,  Clu- 
sium,  Arretium,  Cortona,  Perusia,  and  Volaterrae.  Chiusi,  the  modern 
Clusium,  shows  few  traces  of  her  ancient  greatness,  but  is  rich  in  Etrus- 
can relics.  The  celebrated  tomb  of  Porsena,  a  description  of  which  from 
Varro  is  given  by  Pliny,  is  by  some  believed  to  have  been  discovered  near 
Chiusi,  but  there  is  little  or  no  ground  for  the  belief,  and  the  account  it- 
self is  probably  fabulous. 

2.  The  Nine  Gods.  Pliny  (Nat.  Hist.  ii.  53)  tells  us  that  the  Etruscans 
believed  in  Nine  Great  Gods,  who  alone  had  the  power  of  hurling  thun- 
derbolts. They  were  called  by  the  Romans  Dei  Novensiles  or  Dei  Supe- 
riores. 

6.  A  trystiitg-day.  A  day  of  meeting.  A  tryst  is  properly  a  pledge. 
It  is  the  same  word  as  trust. 

14.  Etruscan.  The  name  Etruria  is  almost  universally  used  by  clas- 
sical Latin  writers.  The  term  Tuscia,  preserved  in  the  modern  Tuscany, 
occurs  often  in  later  times,  and  was  the  official  designation  of  the  prov- 
ince in  the  time  of  the  Empire.  The  people,  on  the  other  hand,  were  at 
all  times  called  indifferently  Etrttsci  or  Tusci,  the  latter  being  apparently 
the  more  ancient  form.  The  Greeks  called  them  Tyrrhenians,  while  the 
native  name  of  the  people  was  Rasena  or  Rasenna.  The  Etruscans  were 
of  a  different  race  from  the  Romans,  and  spoke  a  radically  different  lan- 
guage. The  origin  of  the  race  is  very  uncertain.  Mommsen,  in  his  His- 
tory of  Rome,  says  :  "  '  The  Etruscans,'  Dionysius  said  long  ago, '  are  like 
no  other  nation  in  language  and  manners ;'  and  we  have  nothing  to  add 
to  this  statement." 

19.  Amain.  With  full  power.  The  prefix,  which  occurs  in  such 
words  as  abed,  afoot,  asleep,  and  the  like,  is  the  A.  S.  on,  an,  or  a,  signify- 
ing in  or  with. 

22.  Hamlet.     The  word  is  a  diminutive  from  A.  S.  ham,  English  home. 

24.  Like  an  eagle's  nest.  Cf.  Horace,  Odes,  iii.  4.  14 :  "  celsae  nidum 
Acherontiae"  (of  a  town  nestling  on  the  edge  of  a  hill).  The  commanding 
situation  of  the  village  is  well  described  by  hangs.  For  a  similar  expres- 
sion cf.  Virgil,  Eclogues,  i.  75  : 

"  Non  ego  vos  posthac,  viridi  proiectus  in  antro, 
Dumosa  pendere  procul  de  rupe  videbo." 

26.  Volaterra.     The  Etruscan  Velathri,  one  of  the  most  ancient  and 
powerful  cities  of  Etruria,  five  miles  north  of  the  Cecina  river  and  fif- 
teen from  the  sea.     It  had  an  extremely  commanding  situation  1700  feet 
above  the  sea,  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  bounded  on  all  sides  by  precipices. 
It  was  the  last  stronghold  of  the  Marian  party  in  Italy,  and  yielded  only 
after  a  two  years'  siege  conducted  by  Sulla  in  person.    The  modern  town 
(Volterrn)  retains  large  portions  of  the  ancient  walls,  40  feet  high  and  13 
feet  thick,  and  one  of  the  gateways  (Porta  delV  Arco),  20  feet  high. 

27.  Hold.    Stronghold,  fortress;  as  in  Shakespeare,  2  Hen. IV.  ind.  35  : 
"  this  worm-eaten  hold  of  ragged  stone  "  (the  castle  of  the  Earl  of  Nor- 
thumberland), etc.     Cf.  keep  as  applied  to  the  central  tower  of  a  castle. 

30.  Populonia.  The  principal  maritime  city  of  Etruria,  originally  called 
Pupluna.  Strabo  says  it  was  the  only  one  of  the  ancient  Etruscan  cities 


HORA  TIUS. 


123 


ANCIENT   GATEWAY,  VOLATERR.*. 

which  was  situated  cm  the  sea-coast.  It  became  prosperous  from  its  con- 
nection with  the  neighboring  island  of  Ilva  (see  on  303  below),  the  iron 
from  whose  mines  was  carried  to  Populonia  to  be  smelted  and  thence 
exported.  In  205  B.C.,  when  Scipio  was  fitting  out  his  fleet  to  go  to 
Africa,  Populonia  undertook  to  supply  him  with  iron.  Servius  (on 
sEneid,  x.  172)  states  that  the  town  was  founded  by  Corsicans,  and  that 
it  was  of  later  date  than  the  Etruscan  league.  Like  many  of  the  Etrus- 
can cities,  it  was  built  upon  a  lofty  hill.  At  the  highest  point  of  the  hill 
stood  a  lonely  watch-tower,  from  which  Strabo  says  that  both  Corsica  and 
Sardinia  were  visible.  The  latter  part  of  the  statement,  though  repeated 
by  many  writers,  is  erroneous,  for  even  if  the  distance  were  not  too  great, 
the  nearer  mountains  of  Elba  would  shut  out  those  of  Sardinia  from  the 
view.  Populonia  was  the  only  city  of  Etruria  which  had  a  silver  coinage 
of  its  own.  It  was  of  a  peculiar  character ;  the  reverse  was  generally 
plain,  not  incuse,  or  indented,  like  most  of  the  ancient  Greek  coins,  while 
the  obverse  bore  a  Gorgon's  head.  Populonia  sustained  a  siege  by  Sulla 
at  the  same  time  as  Volaterrae,  and  never  recovered  from  the  blow  which 
it  received.  In  the  Middle  Ages  a  feudal  castle  was  erected  on  the  site, 
which,  with  a  few  adjacent  houses,  still  bears  the  name  of  Populonia,  and 
is  a  conspicuous  object  from  a  distance. 

34.  Mart.     A  contracted  form  of  market ;  from  the  Latin  mercattts 
Cf.  Hamlet,  i.  I.  74 :  "  And  foreign  mart  for  implements  of  war." 


124 


NOTES. 


Pisa.  An  important  city  of  Etruria  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Ar- 
nus,  a  few  miles  from  its  mouth.  Very  little  is  known  of  its  early  history. 
The  identity  of  its  name  with  that  of  the  city  in  Elis  naturally  led  to  the 
supposition  that  one  was  derived  from  the  other  (Virgil,  sEneid,  x.  179), 
but  Cato  considered  it  of  genuine  Etruscan  origin.  In  Pliny's  time  it 
had  become  a  thriving  town,  and  during  the  Middle  Ages  it  was  one  of 
the  most  flourishing  commercial  cities  in  Italy.  It  was  on  the  site  of  the 
modern  Pisa,  though  great  natural  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  lo- 
cality. 

36.  Massilia.  The  modern  Marseilles.  It  was  founded  by  the  Pho- 
caeans  (from  the  Ionian  town  of  Phocaea  in  Asia).  It  was  a  rich  and 
prosperous  city,  with  an  extensive  commerce.  Like  all  the  Greeks,  the 
Massilians  had  slaves,  readily  obtained  from  the  fair-haired  Gauls,  who 
sold  their  own  children  for  this  purpose.  Cf.  Capys,  195. 

Triremes.  Ships  with  three  banks  of  oars,  as  the  name  implies.  Up 
to  the  time  of  the  first  Punic  war  these  were  the  largest  vessels  in  the 
Roman  navy,  but  later  quadriremes,  quinquer ernes,  etc.,  were  built. 

38.  Clanis.  A  river  in  the  territory  of  Clusium,  flowing  into  the  Tiber. 
It  drains  a  remarkable  valley,  thirty  miles  long,  and  so  level  that  the 
waters  from  the  surrounding  hills  would  flow  almost  indifferently  in  either 
direction.  We  learn  from  Tacitus  that  as  early  as  A.D.  15  a  project  was 
formed  of  turning  aside  the  waters  of  the  Clanis  into  the  Arnus.  The 
valley  of  the  Chiana*,  as  it  is  now  called,  has  become  marshy  and  ma- 
larious from  frequent  inundations,  and  its  waters  are  carried  off  by  artifi- 
cial channels  into  the  Lake  of  Chiusi  or  into  the  Arno. 

40.  Cortona.  A  very  ancient  city  of  Etruria,  between  Arretium  and 
Clusium,  on  a  lofty  hill  about  nine  miles  from  Lake  Trasimenus.  It  was 
one  of  the  most  powerful  cities  of  the  Confederation.  We  hear  very  little 
about  it  in  later  times,  for  its  almost  impregnable  situation  rendered  it 
free  from  attack.  The  modern  city  of  Cortona  is  the  see  of  a  bishop,  and 
has  a  population  of  about  5000.  Its  walls  are  for  the  most  part  based 
on  the  ancient  walls,  and  it  is  rich  in  Etruscan  remains. 

43.  Auser.     A  river  of  Etruria,  rising  on  the  borders  of  Liguria,  and 
flowing  into  the  Arnus.     The  modern  river,  the  Serchio  (supposed  to  be 
a  corruption  of  Auserctilits),  flows  into  the  Tyrrhenian  Sea  seven  miles 
north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Arno.     The  whole  space  between  the  two  riv- 
ers in  the  lower  part  of  their  course  is  so  flat  and  low  that  their  waters 
still  communicate  during  great  floods. 

Rill  is  cognate  with  the  Latin  rima  (see  Virgil,  sEneid,  i.  123  :  "rimis- 
que  fatiscunt "),  and  strictly  means  a  shallow  trench  or  channel. 

44.  Champ.    To  eat  noisily ;  cognate  with  chew,  jaw,  and  the  Greek 
yetfupai  (jaws). 

45.  The  Ciminian  hill.     Mt.  Ciminus  (Monte  Ciniino),  the  culminating 
point  of  a  range  of  volcanic  heights,  extending  from  near  the  Tiber  in  a 
southwesterly  direction  towards  the  sea.     It  is  a  conspicuous  object  from 
Rome,  and  separates  the  Camfagna  from  the  plains  of  Central  Etruria. 

•  In  the  Italian  the  lost  Latin  /  is  replaced  by  i ;  as  in  Chiusi  (Clusium),  Firemt 
(florentia),  fiombo  {plumbum),  etc 


HORA  TIUS. 


125 


It  was  covered  in  ancient  times  (as  part  of  it  still  is)  with  a  dense  forest, 
called  Silva  Ciminia,  which  was  regarded  by  the  early  Romans  with  no 
less  awe  than  the  Hercynian  Forest  was  in  later  times.  It  abounded  in 
game. 

46.  Clitumnns.  A  small  river  in  Umbria,  celebrated  for  the  clearness 
of  its  waters,  and  for  the  beauty  of  the  cattle  which  pastured  on  its  banks. 
These  cattle,  of  a  pure  white  color  (cf.  55  below)  and  large  size,  were  set 
apart  as  victims  to  be  slaughtered  at  triumphs  or  other  special  ceremo- 
nies (see  on  Capys,  259  below).  Their  color  was  thought  to  be  due  to 
their  drinking  and  bathing  in  the  extremely  pure  waters  of  the  Clitumnus ; 
but,  though  the  same  tradition  is  preserved  to-day,  the  cattle  are  no  longer 
remarkable  for  their  whiteness.  Pliny  describes  the  source  of  the  river 
in  such  a  way  as  to  show  that  it  was  considered  a  sight  worth  visiting. 
Caligula  undertook  a  journey  for  that  express  purpose,  and  Honorius 
turned  aside  from  his  progress  along  the  Flaminian  Way  for  the  same 
object.  Cf.  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  iv.  67  : 

"  But  thou,  Clitumnus,  in  thy  sweetest  wave 
Of  the  most  living  crystal  that  was  e'er 
The  haunt  of  river  nymph,  to  gaze  and  lave 
Her  limbs  where  nothing  hid  them,  thou  dost  rear 
Thy  grassy  banks  whereon  the  milk-white  steer 
Grazes ;  the  purest  god  of  gentle  waters, 
And  most  serene  of  aspect  and  most  clear ! 
Surely  that  stream  was  unprofaned  by  slaughters — 
A  mirror  and  a  bath  for  Beauty's  youngest  daughters  !" 

49.  Volsinian  mere.  A  lake  of  southern  Etruria  nearly  as  large  as 
Lake  Trasimenus.  It  took  its  name  from  the  town  of  Volsinii,  on  its 
northeastern  shore.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  Tarqninian  Lake,  be- 
cause its  western  shore  adjoined  the  territory  of  Tarquinii.  The  word 
mere  (Latin  mare)  is  cognate  with  mortal,  and  strictly  means  a  dead  or 
desert  waste  of  water. 

58.  Arretiitm.  One  of  the  most  ancient  and  powerful  cities  of  Etruria, 
situated  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Arnus,  about  four  miles  south  of  the 
river.  It  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  twelve  cities  of  the  League,  and 
also  one  of  the  five  which  aided  the  Latins  against  Tarquinius  Priscus. 
After  the  Romaus  had  conquered  Italy,  it  became  an  important  military 
post,  commanding  as  it  did  the  western  entrance  into  Etruria  and  the 
valley  of  the  Tiber  from  Cisalpine  Gaul.  Maecenas,  the  friend  and  coun- 
sellor of  Augustus,  is  said  to  have  been  a  native  of  Arretium,  and,  while 
there  is  no  proof  that  he  himself  was  born  there,  the  family  of  the  Cilnii, 
to  which  he  belonged,  was  at  an  early  period  the  most  powerful  and  con- 
spicuous of  the  nobility  of  that  city.  See  Horace,  Odes,  iii.  29.  I  :  "Tyr- 
rhena  regum  progenies ;"  Satires,  i.  6.  I  (where  there  is  an  allusion  to  the 
supposed  Lydian  origin  of  the  Etruscans) : 

"  Non  quia,  Maecenas,  Lydorum  quicquid  Etrusccs 
Incolunt  fines,  nemo  generosior  est  te." 

In  more  recent  times  the  city  (the  modern  Arezzo)  was  noted  as  the 
birthplace  of  Petrarch.  Many  of  the  most  interesting  specimens  of  Etrus- 
can art  havij  been  discovered  here,  including  much  pottery,  of  a  peculiar 


126  ATOTES. 

style  of  bright  red  ware  with  ornaments  in  relief,  wholly  different  from 
the  painted  vases  so  common  in  southern  Etruria.  Roman  inscriptions 
on  the  articles  confirm  the  statement  of  Pliny,  who  speaks  of  Arretium 
as  still  celebrated  in  his  time  for  its  pottery ;  which  was,  however,  re- 
garded with  contempt  by  the  wealthy  Romans,  and  used  only  for  humble 
purposes. 

59.  Old  men.     Too  old  for  military  service,  as  tin&youngboyt  were  too 
young.     In  Rome  every  citizen  more  than  seventeen  and  less  than  forty- 
six  years  old  was  obliged  to  serve  in  the  army  when  required. 

60.  Uinbro.    A  river  of  Etruria,  next  in  size  to  the  Arnus,  flowing  into 
the  sea  about  sixteen  miles  north  of  the  promontory  of  Mons  Argentarius. 
The  name  is  supposed  to  be  connected  with  the  Umbrians,  who  held  that 
part  of  Italy  before  its  conquest  by  the  Etruscans ;  and  Pliny  tells  us 
that  the  coast  district  as  far  south  as  Telamon  was  called  "Tractus  Um- 
briae." 

62.  Luna.     A  city  of  Etruria  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Macra  near  its 
mouth,  and  hence  on  the  very  borders  of  Liguria.     Indeed,  it  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Ligurians  before  that  people  came  in  contact  with 
the  Romans.    There  is  no  ground  for  considering  it  a  city  of  the  League. 
Luna  was  noted  for  its  wine,  which  was  considered  the  best  in  Etruria ; 
for  its  cheeses,  some  of  which  weighed  a  thousand  pounds ;  and  for  its 
marble  (similar  to  that  of  the  modern  Carrara,  only  a  few  miles  from  the 
ruins  of  Luna),  which  was  equal  to  the  best  Parian.     The  buildings  of 
Luna  and  even  its  walls  are  said  to  have  been  built  of  this  stone,  whence 
Rutilius  calls  them  "candentia  moenia."     The  city  fell  to  decay  under 
the  Roman  emperors,  and  was  finally  destroyed  by  the  Arabs  in  1016. 

63.  Must.    New  wine,  or  mttstum  ;  whence  moist,  musty,  and  mustard 
(this  last  because  it  was  mixed  with  must  or  vinegar). 

68.  Alivay.  Originally  two  words,  «//and  way  (=  all  the  way,  proba- 
bly at  first  in  reference  to  space  traversed,  but  at  a  very  early  period 
transferred  to  time) ;  afterwards  confused  with  the  genitive  always,  which 
has  superseded  it  in  prose,  alway  being  now  archaic  and  poetic.  Cf. 
Matt,  xxviii.  20,  etc. 

71.  Verses.     Predictions,  prophecies.     Compare  the  use  (mostly  poeti- 
cal) of  carmina  ;  as  in  ALneid,  vi.  74,  etc. 

72.  Traced  from  the  right.    The  Etruscans  retained  down  to  the  latest 
period  the  mode  of  writing  from  right  to  left.     Lucretius  says  (vi.  381) : 
"Tyrrhena  retro  volventem  carmina  frustra." 

73.  Yore.     Originally  the  genitive  plural  of  the  A.  S.  word  for  year,  so 
that  the  sense  was  of  years,  that  is,  in  years  past. 

80.  Nttrscia,  or  Nortia,  was  the  Etruscan  goddess  of  fortune,  appar- 
ently identical  with  Fortuna  of  Antium  and  Prasneste.     She  was  wor- 
shipped at  Volsinii,  where  a  nail  was  driven  every  year  into  the  wall  of 
her  temple  for  the  purpose  of  marking  the  number  of  years. 

8 1.  The  golden  shields  of  Rome.     The  twelve  sacred  shields  (attciliii) 
preserved  in  the  temple  of  Mars  Gradivus  on  the  Palatine  Hill.    Accord- 
ing to  one  legend,  a  shield  was  found  in  the  palace  of  Numa  which  was 
supposed  to  have  fallen  from  heaven,  as  it  could  not  be  learned  that  any 
human  hand  had  brought  it  there.     The  haruspices  declared  that  the 


HORA  TIUS. 


127 


ANCILIA  CARKIKD    BY   SALII. 


Roman  state  would  endure  so 
long  as  tliis  shield  was  kept  in 
Rome.  To  secure  its  preserva- 
tion, Numa  had  eleven  other 
shields  made  exactly  like  it ; 
and  twelve  priests,  known  as  the 
Salii,  were  appointed  to  take 
care  of  the  twelve  shields.  At 
the  yearly  feast  of  the  god,  on  the 
calends  of  March,  the  Salii  car- 
ried the  ancilia  about  the  city, 
at  the  same  time  singing  sacred 
songs  and  performing  a  Kind  of 
dance,  in  which-  they  kept  lime 
by  striking  the  shields  with  rods. 
The  cut  shows  one  of  these  rods, 
and  also  the  Salii  on  their  march. 
The  material  of  the  shields  is 
not  mentioned  by  ancient  writers,  but,  according  to  the  later  grammari- 
ans, it  was  bronze,  not  gold. 

83.   Tale.     A  number,  reckoning  ;  like  tally  from  tell  (=count). 

86.  Sntrinm.  A  small  town  in  the  southern  part  of  Etruria,  about 
thirty-two  miles  from  Rome.  It  never  became  a  place  of  any  impor- 
tance, but  its  position  on  the  Cassian  Way  preserved  it  from  falling  into 
decay,  like  so  many  of  the  Etruscan  cities,  under  the  Roman  Empire. 
The  modern  town,  Sutri,  has  only  2000  inhabitants,  but  retains  the  epis- 
copal see  which  it  held  throughout  the  Middle  Ages.  It  contains  a  re- 
markable amphitheatre,  excavated  in  the  tufa  rock. 

95.  Muster.     A  fair  show,  an  assembly  (from  Latin  monstrd). 

96.  Titscttlan  Mamilius.     The  Mamilia  gens  was  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished families  of  Tusculum,  and  indeed  in  the  whole  of  Latium. 
They  traced  their  origin  to  the  mythical  Mamilia,  daughter  of  Telegonus, 
the  son  of  Odysseus  and  Circe.     Their  coins  bear  on  one  side  a  head  of 
Mercury,  and  on  the  other  Odysseus  in  his  travelling  dress  with  his  dog. 
Mamilius  was  the  foremost  man  of  the  Latin  race  in  the  time  of  Tarquin- 
ius  Superbus,  who  secured  his  alliance  by  giving  him  his  daughter  in 
marriage. 

Tusculum  was  a  strong  city  of  Latium  fifteen  miles  from  Rome.  It  was 
said  to  have  been  founded  by  Telegonus.  After  the  final  defeat  of  Tar- 
quin  at  Lake  Regillus,  Tusculum  remained  for  a  long  time  a  faithful  ally 
of  Rome.  In  the  great  Latin  war  it  opposed  Rome,  but  after  the  defeat 
of  the  Latins  the  Tusculans  were  treated  with  great  indulgence.  In  later 
times  Tusculum  was  one  of  the  favorite  resorts  of  the  wealthy  Romans. 
Here  Lucullus,  Cato,  Cicero,  and  others  had  villas,  and  Cicero  composed 
many  of  his  philosophical  works.  The  ancient  city  remained  entire  until 
nearly  the  end  of  the  twelfth  century,  and  its  ruins  arc  still  to  be  seen  near 
the  modern  Frascati. 

98.  77te  vclUno  Tiber.  Fliirns  (yellow)  is  a  constant  epithet  applied  to  the 
Tiber  by  Roman  poets.  Cl.  466  and  470  below,  and  Horace,  Odes,  i.  2. 13  : 


128 


NOTES. 


"  Vidimus  flavum  Tiberim  retortis 
Litore  Etrusco  violenter  undis 
Ire  deiectum  raonumenta  regis 
Templaque  Vestae,"  etc.x 

ico.  Champaign.  Open  country,  plains.  See  Shakespeare,  Lear,  \. 
i.  57:  "With  shadowy  forests  and  with  champaigns  rich'd ;"  also 
Twelfth  Night,  ii.  5.  174 :  "  Daylight  and  champaign  discovers  not  more." 
In  Lucrece  (1247)  the  word  is  used  as  an  adjective  :  "A  goodly  cham- 
paign plain." 

106.  Folk.  Properly  a  collective  noun  (=a  crowd  of  people),  though 
it  has  come  to  be  used  in  the  plural.  It  is  allied  to  flock. 

1 10.  Litters  (lectictz)  for  sick  persons  and  invalids  seem  to  have  been 
in  use  at  Rome  (as  in  Greece)  from 
the  earliest  times.  They  were  cov- 
ered, and  enclosed  with  curtains  or 
with  sides  in  which  there  were  win- 
dows. In  later  times  they  were 
used  by  people  in  health,  especially 
in  travelling.  They  were  carried  by 
means  of  poles  attached  but  not  fixed 
to  the  litter.  The  poles  rested  on 
the  shoulders  of  the  bearers,  and 
not  on  thongs  passed  around  their 
necks,  as  some  modern  writers  have 
thought.  In  the  time  of  the  Empire 
their  use  in  the  city  became  general. 
They  were  carried  by  tall,  hand- 
some slaves  in  gorgeous  liveries. 

115.  Skins  of  wine.  When  wine 
was  transported  from  one  place  to 
another,  it  was  put  into  bags  of 
goat-skin,  well  pitched  over,  so  as 
to  make  the  seams  perfectly  tight. 
When  the  quantity  was  large,  a 
number  of  hides  were  sewed  to- 
gether, and  the  leather  tun  thus 
made  was  carried  in  a  cart. 

117.  Kine.  The  old  plural  of 
cow.  It  is  really  a  double  plural 
(like  brethren),  the  A.  S.  cti  having 

the  plural  cy,  whence  the  Middle  English  ky,  which  was  pluralized  by 
adding  en  (as  in  oxen),  forming  ky-en,  or  kine. 

122.  The  rock  Tarpeian.  A  steep  rock  on  the  Saturnian  Hill  (at  a  very 
early  period  called  the  Capitoline),  from  which  traitors  were  hurled. 
Tarpeia,  according  to  the  legend,  was  a  Roman  maiden,  who  treacher- 
ously opened  the  citadel  to  the  Sabines.  She  stipulated  that  her  reward 
should  be  "what  they  wore  on  their  left  frms,"  meaning  their  golden 
bracelets,  but  they  cast  upon  her  their  shields,  which  they  bore  on  their 
left  arms,  and  crushed  her.  Cf.  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  iv.  112  : 


SILENUS  ASTRIDE  UPON  A  WINE-SKIN. 


HORA  TIUS. 


129 


"  Where  is  the  rock  of  Triumph,  the  high  place 
Where  Home  embraced  her  heroes?  where  the  steep 
Tarpeian — fittest  goal  of  Treason's  race, 
The  promontory  whence  the  Traitor's  Leap 
Cured  all  ambition?"  , 

In  the  present  passage  the  rock  Tarpeian  is  probably  used  for  the  hill  in 
general.  The  precise  location  of  the  part  from  which  traitors  were 
thrown  is  now  matter  of  dispute,  but  the  weight  of  authority  seems  to  be 
in  favor  of  the  south  side,  or  the  Monte  Caprino,  as  it  is  called. 


*  '..  tw" 

THE   TARPBIAN    ROCK. 

123.  Wan.  The  original  sense  of  the  word  seems  to  have  been  tired 
out,  from  which  the  transition  is  easy  to  pale  from  fatigue. 

Burghers.  Citizens.  The  word  is  cognate  with  Iwrgess,  which  in 
Mommsen's  History  of  Koine  (Knglish  translation)  is  the  designation  of 
the  Roman  citizens.  It  is  derived  from  borOHfk+tr. 

126.  The  Fathers  of  the  City.  The  Patres  Conscripti,  or  senators.  See 
on  Lake  Re^illits,  119  below. 

133.  Crnstiimerium.  An  ancient  city  of  Latium,  on  the  borders  of  the 
Sabine  territory,  between  Fidenae  and  Eretum.  It  was  reckoned  by  Plu- 
tarch as  a  Sabine  city,  but  Virgil  (jVLncid,  vii.  631)  mentions  it  among  the 
five  great  cities  which  were  the  first  to  take  up  arms  against  tineas,  all 
which  he  undoubtedly  regarded  as  Latin  towns.  The  country  about 
Crnstumerium  was  noted  for  its  fertility.  It  produced  great  quantities 
of  corn,  and  Virgil  (Georgics,  ii.  88)  says  that  pears  were  produced  there 
in  great  abundance  which  were  red  only  on  one  side,  a  peculiarity  which 
they  still  retain. 


I30 


NOTES. 


134.  Verbenna.  This  name  is  one  of  Macaulay's  own  invention  ;  it  is 
not  mentioned  by  any  Roman  writer. 

Ostia.  The  seaport  of  Rome,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tiber,  sixteen  miles 
from  the  city.  All  ancient  writers  agree  that  it  was  founded  by  Ancus 
Martius,  who  at  the  same  time  established  salt-works  there,  which  for 
a  long  time  supplied  Rome  and  the  neighboring  country.  Ostia  was 
always  a  colony  of  Rome  and  never  became  independent.  Although  it 
must  have  grown  in  importance  with  the  increasing  power  of  Rome,  no 
historical  mention  is  made  of  the  town  until  the  second  Punic  War,  when 
it  was  a  naval  and  commercial  port  of  the  highest  importance.  From  its 
close  connection  with  Rome  it  enjoyed  special  privileges,  and  Ostia  and 
Antium  alone  were  granted  exemption  from  levies  for  military  service  in 
207  B.C.  It  suffered  during  the  wars  of  Marius  and  Sulla,  and  was  taken 
and  sacked  by  the  former  in  87  B.C.  In  67  B.C.  a  fleet  which  had  been 
assembled  there  to  suppress  the  pirates  was  attacked  by  the  pirates  them- 
selves and  destroyed  (Cicero,  Pro  Leg.  Main'/.  12.  33). 


The  modern  village  of  Ostia  is  an  insignificant  place,  the  climate  of 
which  in  summer  is  extremely  unhealthy.  It  has  scarcely  a  hundred  in- 
habitants, most  of  whom  are  employed  in  the  salt-works.  The  site  of 
the  ancient  town  is  now  three  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  In  the 
time  of  Strabo  the  port  had  been  seriously  injured  by  alluvial  deposits, 
and  among  the  projects  of  Julius  Caesar  was  one  for  its  improvement. 
Claudius  carried  out  the  plan  by  constructing  an  entirely  new  harbor  two 
miles  to  the  north  ;  but  this  being  also  filled  up,  Trajan  in  A.D.  103  began 
a  new  one  at  the  modern  Porto,  which  was  choked  in  its  turn.  The  cas- 
tle, which  is  now  the  most  conspicuous  object  at  Ostia,  was  built  in  the 
early  part  of  the  l6th  century. 

136.  Astur.  Another  name  of  Macaulay's  invention.  There  is  a  Latin 
word  astnr  meaning  a  hawk. 

Janiculum.    A  hill  across  the  Tiber  opposite  the  Campus  Martius, 


HO  RATIOS.  131 

where  the  river  bends  farthest  to  the  west.  In  the  time  of  Tarquin  it  did 
not  form  part  of  the  city,  but  it  had  been  fortified  by  Ancus  Martius  as 
an  outpost  and  connecfed  with  the  city  by  the  Pons  Snblicins.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  called  Juniculum  from  Janus,  a  deified  king  of  Latium,  who 
had  a  citadel  there. 

138.  Iwis.  Not  a  verb  and  pronoun,  although  often  so  considered, 
and  apparently  so  regarded  by  Shakespeare  and  his  contemporaries.  It 
is  an  adverb  meaning  certainly,  and  was  at  first  written  ywis.  Cf.  the 
German  gewiss. 

The  Senate.  The  Latin  word  senatus  means  a  collection  of  old  men. 
See  Cicero,  De  Senectute,  vi.  19  :  "  Quae  [consilium,  ratio,  sententia]  nisi 
essent  in  senibus,  non  summum  consilium  nostri  maiores  appellassent 
senatum  ;"  and  compare  the  Greek  (Lacedaemonian)  ytpovala.  The  Ro- 
man senate  at  this  time  consisted  of  300  members,  100  from  each  of  the 
three  tribes,  and  this  remained  the  regular  number  for  many  centuries. 
The  senators  held  their  office  for  life,  unless  expelled  by  the  censors  for 
unbecoming  conduct.  They  were  chosen,  at  first  by  the  consul  but  after- 
wards by  the  censors,  from  those  who  had  held  high  offices  in  the  state. 
After  the  time  of  Sulla,  every  man  who  had  held  the  quaestorship,  or  any 
higher  office,  might  sit  in  the  senate,  so  that  the  number  sometimes 
reached  five  or  six  hundred. 

The  original  purpose  of  the  senate  was  to  give  advice  to  the  kings,  and 
its  decrees  were  at  all  times  called  cons/ilta,  that  is,  matters  which  seemed 
advisable.  At  an  early  period,  however,  the  senate,  though  it  did  not 
have  authority  to  pass  laws  and  was  itself  subject  to  the  laws,  became  the 
ruling  power  in  the  state,  and  by  its  consulta  controlled  the  whole  Roman 
world.  The  senate  met  regularly  three  times  a  month,  and  could  be 
specially  summoned  by  the  consul,  or  (in  later  times)  by  a  tribune  of  the 
people,  and  the  magistrate  who  summoned  it  presided  at  its  meetings. 
In  the  later  days  of  the  Republic,  the  members  of  the  senate  formed  an 
order  (see  on  Lake  Regillns,  3  below),  called  the  ordo  senatorius,  an  he- 
reditary nobility.  The  members  of  the  order  wore  a  tunic  with  a  broad 
purple  stripe  and  a  shoe  of  a  peculiar  pattern ;  they  also  sat  in  the  or- 
chestra at  the  theatres  and  amphitheatres. 

142.  The  Consul.  After  the  expulsion  of  the  kings,  the  chief  magistracy 
of  the  state  was  represented  by  two  officers,  elected  annually,  called  at 
first  prators,  or  leaders,  but  very  soon  afterwards  consuls,  a  word  of  uncer- 
tain origin,  but  probably  derived  from  «w+the  root  of  salio  (ci.exsnl, 
praesul),  meaning  perhaps  those  who  go  together.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  Republic  the  power  of  the  consuls  was  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the 
kings  who  had  preceded  them,  but  with  the  establishment  of  the  praetor- 
ship,  censorship,  etc.,  their  power  was  diminished.  Until  366  B.C.  the 
consulship  was  open  only  to  patricians,  but  it  finally  became  a  principle 
of  the  Roman  constitution  that  both  consuls  should  not  be  patricians. 
The  consuls  presided  in  the  senate,  and  in  the  comitia  of  the  centuries, 
and  were  preceded  by  twelve  lictors  (see  on  Lake  Kegillus,  z  below),  en- 
joying these  honors  for  a  month  at  a  time  in  turn.  In  time  of  war  they 
commanded  the  army,  and  a  consul  might  be  given  dictatorial  power  by 
the  senate  (see  on  Lake  Regillus,  123).  After  the  Roman  rule  had  ex- 


132 


NOTES. 


ROMAN    CONSUL. 


tended  beyond  the  boundaries  of  Italy,  the  consuls  governed  a  province 
as  proconsuls  at  the  close  of  their  term  of  office. 

144.  They  girded  up  their  gmvns.  The  cumbrous  form  of  the  toga, 
which  was  always  worn  in  the  senate,  made  it  necessary  to  gird  it  up 
whenever  active  work  was  to  be  done.  Cf.  Virgil,  ^Eneid,  i.  210  :  "  Illi 
se  praedae  accingunt ;"  and  Id.  ii.  235 :  "  Accingunt  omnes  operi." 

147.  The  Kiver-  Gate.  The  Porta  Flumentana  must  have  been  in  the 
short  piece  of  wall  between  the  Capitoline  Hill  and  the  Tiber.  Its  situa- 
tion near  the  river  may  be  inferred  from  its  name,  from  the  fact  that  Livy 
mentions  it  in  connection  with  inundations,  and  from  a  passage  in  Varro 
(R.  R.  iii.  2). 

150.  Roundly.  Plainly,  "  without  circumlocution  "  (as  the  dictionaries 
define  it,  though  at  first  it  seems  very  like  a  bull).  Cf.  Shakespeare,  As 
You  Like  It,  v.  3.  ii :  "  Shall  we  clap  into  't  roundly,  without  hawking  or 
spitting  or  saying  we  are  hoarse?"  So  the  adjective  round  =  blunt,  un- 
ceremonious ;  as  in  Twelfth  Night,  ii.  3. 102 :  "  I  must  be  round  with  you," 
etc. 


HORA  TIUS. 


133 


!5r.  The  bridge.  The  Ports  Sublicins,  the  oldest  and  most  frequently 
mentioned  of  the  Roman  bridges,  was  a  wooden  bridge  said  to  have  been 
built  by  Ancus  Martius.  It  connected  the  Janiculum  with  the  city,  but 
its  exact  site  is  a  vexed  question.  It  was  of  great  religious  importance, 
and  was  under  the  special  protection  of  one  of  the  pontifices.  Even  after 
a  new  bridge  of  stone  was  built  beside  it  for  purposes  of  traffic,  the  wooden 
bridge  was  kept  in  repair  as  a  venerable  and  sacred  relic,  and  as  indis- 
pensable in  certain  religious  ceremonies  (see  on  Luke  Regillns,  697  below). 
It  is  known  to  have  been  in  existence  in  the  time  of  Constantine.  Pliny 
(Nut.  Hist,  xxxvi.  23)  tells  us  that,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  and  delay 
in  breaking  it  down  on  this  occasion,  it  was  reconstructed  without  nails, 
in  such  a  manner  that  each  beam  could  be  removed  and  replaced  at 
pleasure. 

156.  Sir  Consul.  When  the  poem  was  first  published  certain  critics 
made  fun  of  this,  and  suggested  "  O  Consul"  in  place  of  it;  but  the  ex- 
pression is  in  keeping  with  the  old  ballad  style  which  Macaulay  imitates, 
and  it  is  mere  pedantry  to  object  to  it.  Shakespeare  has  Sir  repeatedly 
in  the  Roman  plays ;  as  in  Julius  Ccesar,  iv.  3.  246,  250,  Coriolanus,  i.  5- 
15,  iv.  5.  142.  Cf.  Acts,  vii.  26,  xiv.  15,  xvi.  30,  etc.  Sir  is  of  Latin  ori- 
gin (from  senior,  through  the  French). 

160-173.  Ami  siiw  the  swarthy  storm  of  dust.  etc.  For  a  prose  de- 
scription of  a  similar  scene,  vivid  from  its  very  simplicity,  cf.  Xenophon, 
Anabasis,  i.  8.  8. 

177.  Twelve  fair  cities.  The  twelve  cities  of  the  Etruscan  Confedera- 
tion. See  on  i  above. 

1 80.  7'//<?  Uinbrian.  Umbria  is  the  northeastern  division  of  Italy  prop- 
er, east  of  Etruria.  The  Etruscans  engaged  in  many  wars  with  the  Urn- 
brians  and  with  their  neighbors  the  Gauls.  The  former  at  one  time  pos- 
sessed a  great  part  of  Etruria,  from  which  they  were  driven  at  a  very 
early  period  after  a  long  struggle,  with  the  loss  of  three  hundred  towns. 
The  Umbrians  are  regarded  by  all  writers  of  antiquity  as  the  most  an- 
cient people  of  Italy. 

184.  By  port  anil  vest.     By  bearing  and  dress.     Port  is  from  the  Latin 
portare,  vest  from  vestis.     For  a  similar  use  of  the  latter  word  see  Fuller, 
Worthies :  "  He  much  affected  to  appear  in  foreign  vests,"  etc. 

Crest.  The  plume  or  tuft  on  the  top  of  the  helmet,  by  which  the  wearer 
was  most  readily  distinguished  in  a  throng  of  warriors.  Cf.  Tennyson, 
Oriana  :  "  She  watched  my  crest  among  them  all,"  etc. 

185.  Lncumc.     Literally,  one  possessed  or  inspired;  a  title  given  to 
Etruscan  priests  and  princes,  like  the  Roman  patricius.     It  was  mistaken 
by  the  Romans  for  a  proper  name.     The  title  was  given  to  the  son  of 
Demaratus,  King  of  Corinth,  afterwards  Tarquinius  Priscus.     See  on  I 
above. 

1 86.  Cilnins.     The  Cilnii  were  a  powerful  Etruscan  family,  who  seem 
to  have  been  unusually  firm  supporters  of  the  Roman  interests.     They 
were  luatinones  in  their  city,  Arretitim.     The  name  has  been  rendered 
famous  by  C.  Cilnius  Maecenas,  the  intimate  friend  of  Augustus.     See  on 
58  above. 

188.  Fourfold  shield.    Made  of  four  thicknesses  of  hide.     Such  shields 


134 


NOTES. 


were  made  of  wood  or  wicker,  which  was  covered  with  ox-hides  of  sev- 
eral folds,  and  finally  bound  around  the  edge  with  metal.  See  Homer, 
Iliad,  xii.  294  fol. : 

avTiKa  &'  ainriSa  /uev  icpoaff  faxfro  ir<ivTO<r'  ei<rr\v, 
KaAf/c  %a\neit\v  e^ii\arav,  iiv  apa  xaAicevf 
r)Aa<T6K,  fvroatiev  if  ftoitiai  p<i</>e   tia/JLtiat 
Xpvafii/?  pafldoHTi   iinvfKfffiv  nfpi  KVK\OV* 

The  arms  of  the  Etruscans  closely  resembled  those  of  the  Greeks. 

189.  Brand.     A.  sword,  from  its  brightness.     The  succession  of  mean- 
ings is  (i)  a  burning  ;  (2)  a  firebrand  ;  (3)  a  sword-blade. 

190.  Tolumnius.     Probably  king  of  Veii.     In  438  B.C.  a  king  of  Veii 
of  the  same  name  was  slain  in  single  combat  by  Cornelius  Cossus,  who, 
following  the  example  of  Romulus,  consecrated  the  spoils  to  Jupiter  Fere- 
trius ;  the  second  case  in  which  the  spolia  opitna  were  won. 

192.  Thrasymene.  The  most  approved  spellings  in  the  Latin  are 
Tiasiimenns  and  Trasymenns.  There  is  no  authority  for  the  Th.  It  is 
the  largest  lake  in  Etruria,  situated  in  the  eastern  part  between  Cortona 
and  Perusia  (Perugia),  from  the  latter  of  which  it  is  now  sometimes 
called  La»v  di  Perugia.  It  is  about  thirty  miles  in  circumference,  but  of 


LAKE  THRASYMENB. 

small  depth,  nowhere  exceeding  thirty  feet,  and  its  banks  are  low,  flat,  and 
covered  with  reeds.  It  is  famous  for  the  crushing  defeat  of  the  Roman 
consul  C.  Flamininus  by  Hannibal  (217  B.C.)  in  "the  defiles  fatal  to  Ro- 
man rashness."  Livy  relates  a  story  that  the  fury  of  the  combatants  was 
such  that  they  were  unconscious  of  an  earthquake  shock  which  occurred 
during  the  battle.  See  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  iv.  73  : 


HORA  TIUS.  I35 

"And  such  the  shock  of  battle  on  this  day     ' 
And  such  the  frenzy,  whose  convulsion  blinds 
To  all  save  carnage,  that,  beneath  the  fray, 
An  earthquake  rolled  unheeding!  y  away. 

193.  Fast  by.  Fixed,  or  made  fast,  by  ;  like  Aura' (firm)  by  and  close  by. 
Cf.  Wintn*»  Tale,  iv.  4.  512  :  "A  vessel  rides  fast  by,"  etc. 

196.  His  ivory  car.  The  ancients  used  ivory  on  a  more  extensive  scale 
than  is  known  in  modern  times.  The  statue  of  the  Olympian  Zeus  by 
Phidias  was  made  of  it  or  covered  with  it.  The  Romans,  who  obtained 
large  quantities  from  Africa,  also  used  it  in  works  of  art  and  ornament  of 
considerable  size. 

199.  False  Sexdts.     Sextus  Tarquinius,  the  second  son  of  Tarquinius 
Superbus. 

200.  The  deed  of  shame.    The  rape  of  Lucrece,  the  immediate  cause  of 
the  expulsion  of  Tarquin.     See  Shakespeare,  Lucrece,  and  Ovid,  Fasti, 
book  ii. 

The  first  reading  of  this  line  was  "  That  brought  Lucrece  to  shame." 
Macaulay  altered  it  here  and  elsewhere  at  the  suggestion  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Thomas  Flower  Ellis.  See  Trevelyan's  Life  (Harper's  ed.  vol.  ii.  p. 
108). 

217.  Horatins.     The  Horatian  gens  was  a  patrician  family  belonging 
tonhe  tribe  of  Luceres.     The  burghers  or  patricians  consisted  originally 
of  three  distinct  tribes :  the  Katrines,  a  Latin  colony  on  the  Palatine  hill, 
said  to  have  been  founded  by  Romulus  ;  the  Titles,  or  Sabine  settlers  on 
the  Quirinal  and  Viminal  hills,  under  King  Tatius ;  and  the  Luceres, 
mostly  Etruscans,  who  had  settled  on  the  Caelian.     As  mentioned  in  the 
introduction,  the  three  defenders  of  the  bridge  were  representatives  of 
these  three  tribes.     Horatius  bore  the  surname  Codes,  or  "  the  one- 
eyed." 

218.  The  Captain  of  the  Gate.     Apparently  not  a  permanent  office,  but 
an  appointment  for  this  special  occasion.     Livy  (ii.  10)  says  :  "  qui  posi- 
tus  forte  in  statione  pontis,"  etc. 

229.  The  holy  maidens.  The  virgin  priestesses  of  Vesta,  six  in  num- 
ber, two  from  each  of  the  original  three  tribes.  It  was  their  chief  duty 
to  watch  by  turns,  night  and  day,  the  "  eternal  flame  "  on  the  altar  of 
Vesta,  the  extinction  of  which  was  considered  to  portend  the  destruction 
of  the  state.  They  were  held  in  high  honor  and  were  granted  certain 
immunities  and  privileges. 

237.  Strait.  Narrow  (Latin  strictus);  misprinted  "straight"  in  some 
editions. 

241.  S/>urius  Larthis.    The  Lartia  gens  was  a  patrician  family  of  Etrus- 
can origin.     The  name  is  probably  derived  from  Lar.    The  family  disap- 
pears early  from  history,  the  only  other  famous  member  being  T.  Lartius, 
the  first  dictator,  in  501  B.C.     See  on  Lake  Regilliis,  123  below. 

242.  A  Ramiiian.     See  on  217  above. 

245.  f/ermiiiiiis.  The  I/erinitiia  gens  was  a  very  ancient  patrician 
family  at  Rome,  which  also  vanishes  early  from  history.  The  syllable 
Her  is  common  in  Sabellian  names,  but  one  of  the  family  bore  the  pr*- 
nomen  Lar,  Lai  ins,  or  Larciits,  which  is  undoubtedly  of  Etruscan  origin, 


136  NOTES. 

and  the  Roman  antiquaries  regarded  the  family  as  Etruscan.     It  is  re- 
markable that  Herminius  and  Lartius  are  coupled  in  their  first  consul- 
ship, at  the  bridge,  and  in  the  battle  of  Lake  Regillus. 
246.  A  Titian.     See  on  217  above. 

261.  Then  lands  were  fairly  portioned.     A  standing  grievance  of  the 
plebeians  was  that  the  ager  piMicus  (see  on  542  below),  or  land  which  was 
the  property  of  the  state,  acquired  by  conquest,  was  occupied  almost  en- 
tirely by  the  patricians,  until  the  passing  of  the  Licinian  laws. 

262.  Then  spoils  were  fairly  sold.     As  stated  in  the  introduction,  this 
line  places  the  date  of  the  composition  of  this  poem  after  the  capture  of 
Veii  in  396  B.C.     An  immense  amount  of  booty  was  taken  at  Veii,  which 
was  distributed  among  the  citizens.     In  391  B.C.  Camillus,  who  had  com- 
manded the  Romans  at  Veii,  was  accused  by  L.  Appuleius,  tribune  of  the 
people,  of  having  made  an  unfair  division  of  the  spoils  and  of  having  ap- 
propriated the  great  bronze  gates  of  Veii.    Seeing  that  he  would  certainly 
be  condemned,  he  went  into  exile,  whence  he  was  recalled  the  next  year 
and  made  dictator  against  the  Gauls. 

267.  The  Tribunes.  The  tribunes  of  the  people  (trilnmi  plebis]  were 
first  appointed  in  494  B.C.  after  the  first  Secession  to  the  Sacred  Mount. 
At  first  there  were  two  tribunes  ;  afterwards  the  number  was  increased  to 
five,  and  finally  to  ten.  They  were  originally  appointed  to  afford  protec- 
tion to  the  common  people  against  any  abuse  on  the  part  of  the  patrician 
magistrates ;  and  that  they  might  be  able  to  afford  such  protection,  their 
persons  were  declared  sacred  and  inviolable.  They  gradually  acquired  the 
right  of  vetoing  any  act  which  a  magistrate  might  undertake  during  his 
term  of  office,  and  that,  too,  without  giving  any  reason.  Moreover,  they 
might  seize  and  imprison  a  senator  or  consul,  or  even  hurl  him  from  the 
Tarpeian  rock  (see  on  122  above).  They  convoked  the  assembly  of  the 
tribes  (comitia  trikula),  and  usually  presided  over  it.  They  finally  became 
the  most  powerful  magistrates  in  the  state,  and  in  the  latter  days  of  the 
republic  were  veritable  tyrants.  But  in  spite  of  the  many  abuses  of 
power  by  individual  tribunes,  the  best  historians  and  statesmen  agree 
that  the  greatness  of  Rome  and  its  long  duration  were  largely  attributa- 
ble to  the  institution  of  this  office. 

274.  Harness.  An  old  use  of  the  word  (which  is  cognate  with  iroii) 
in  the  sense  of  armor  for  the  body.  See  Shakespeare,  T.  ami  C.  v.  3. 
31  :  "Doff  thy  harness." 

277.  Commons.     The  plebeians  or  common  people  of  Rome.    The  time 
when  they  began  to  form  part  of  the  Roman  population  is  uncertain,  but 
their  number  was  greatly  increased  by  the  transfer  to  Rome  of  the  popu- 
lation of  Alba  Longa,  after  that  city  was  destroyed  by  Tullus  Hostilius. 
At  first  the  plebeians  were  grievously  oppressed  by  the  patricians  ;  they 
were  denied  all  political  rights,  could  not  intermarry  with  the  patricians, 
and  were  subject  to  severe  and  unjust  laws  concerning  debt.     For  about 
two  centuries  the  internal  history  of  Rome  is  a  record  of  the  struggle  be- 
tween the  two  orders.     Finally,  after  several  secessions  to  the  Sacred 
Mount  (see  on  Lake  Regillus.  14  below)  the  Hortensian  law  in  286  B.C. 
gave  the  plebeians  equal  rights  with  the  patricians. 

278.  Crow.    A  bar  with  a  strong  beak  like  a  crow's,  a  crow-bar. 


HORA  TIUS. 


137 


PLEBEIANS. 


290.  Rolled.  The  verb  (which  somebody  has  criticised)  is  suggested 
by  the  sea  above. 

301.  Aunus.    This  name  does  not  occur  anywhere  in  Roman  literature. 

Tifernum.  There  were  two  towns  in  Umbria  by  this  name.  The  most 
important,  and  the  one  probably  referred  to  here,  was  Tifernum  Tiberi- 
mim,  situated  on  the  Tiber  near  the  Tuscan  frontier.  The  Tuscan  villa 
of  the  younger  Pliny  was  situated  near  Tifernum,  whose  citizens  chose 
him  at  a  very  early  age  to  be  their  patron  ;  in  return  for  which  honor  he 
built  a  temple  there. 

303.  Seins.  There  were  several  Romans  of  this  name.  Of  one  Gellius 
relates  (iii.  9)  that  he  had  the  finest  horse  of  his  age,  which  was  fated  to 
bring  destruction  to  whosoever  possessed  it.  Seius  was  put  to  death  by 
M.  Antonius,  afterwards  triumvir,  during  the  civil  war  between  Caesar 
and  Pompey.  The  horse  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  Dolabella,  and 
afterwards  into  those  of  Crassus,  both  of  whom  died  a  violent  death. 
I  Fence  the  proverb  concerning  an  unlucky  man  :  "  llle  homo  habet  equum 
Seianum." 


138  NOTES. 

304.  Ilva.     An  island  (now  Elba}  in  the  Tyrrhenian  sea,  situated  off 
the  coast  of  Etruria  opposite  Populonia  (see  on  30  above).     It  is  about 
eighteen  miles  in  length  and  twelve  in  breadth.     It  is  still  celebrated,  as 
it  was  in  ancient  times,  for  its  iron  mines,  the  ore  from  which  was  very 
abundant  and  easily  extracted. 

305.  Picas.     The  first  king  of  Italy  is  said  to  have  had  this  name. 

309.  Nequinnm.     The  name  applied  before  the  Roman  conquest  to 
Ntirnid,  one  of  the  most  important  cities  of  Etruria,  situated  on  the  Nar, 
eight  miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Tiber.     It  was  on  the  Via  Fla- 
minia,  fifty-six  miles  from  Rome.     Narnia  was  occupied  by  the  generals 
of  Vitellus  in  his  civil  war  with  Vespasian,  and  was  an  important  fort- 
ress in  the  Gothic  wars  of  Belisarius  and  Narses.     The  position  of  the 
town  on  a  lofty  hill,  precipitous  on  several  sides,  and  half  surrounded  by 
the  Nar,  is  alluded  to  by  many  Latin  writers  ;  and  the  bridge  by  which 
the  Flaminian  Way  was  carried  across  the  Nar  and  a  neighboring  ravine 
at  this  point  has  been  much  admired  in  ancient  and  in  modern  times. 

310.  Nar.    A  river  of  central  Italy,  one  of  the  principal  tributaries  of 
the  Tiber,  rising  on  the  boundaries  of  Umbria  and  I'icenum.     It  is  re- 
markable for  its  white  and  sulphurous  waters,  which  several  ancient 
writers  allude  to.     See  Virgil,  &neid,  vii.  517 : 

"Audiit  amnis 
Sulfurea  Nar  albus  aqua. " 

314.  Clove.  The  form  cleft  is  now  more  common  for  the  past  tense  than 
clove.  Shakespeare  uses  the  former  twice,  the  latter  only  once.  He  also 
has  the  participle  cleft  oftener  than  cloven,  the  latter  being  always  joined 
to  a  noun  ;  as  in  Tempest,  \.  2.  277 :  "  A  cloven  pine,"  etc. 

319.  Ocnus.     The  reputed  founder  of  Mantua  bore  this  name. 

Falerii.  A  powerful  city  in  the  southern  part  of  Etruria,  a  few  miles 
north  of  Mt.  Soracte.  It  was  probably  one  of  the  twelve  cities  of  the 
Etruscan  League.  It  supported  Veii  in  many  of  its  wars  with  Rome  ; 
and  it  is  in  connection  with  Falerii  that  the  well-known  story  is  told  of 
the  treacherous  schoolmaster  and  the  generous  conduct  of  the  Roman 
general. 

321.  Lausulus.  There  was  a  Lattsus  who  was  the  son  of  Numitor,  and 
another  who  was  the  son  of  Mezentius,  slain  by  ./Eneas. 

Urgo.  A  small  island  in  the  Tyrrhenian  Sea,  also  called  Gorgon  (in 
modern  times,  Gorgona).  It  was  between  Etruria  and  Corsica,  about 
twenty  miles  from  the  mainland.  It  is  only  eight  miles  in  circumference, 
but  elevated  and  rocky,  so  that  it  is  conspicuous  from  a  distance. 

323.  Artins.     An  Etruscan  designation  of  the  younger  son  (in  pure 
Etruscan,  Arnth),  while  the  elder  was  called  Lar. 

Volsininm  (more  properly  Volsinit)  was  a  city  of  Etruria  on  a  steep 
height  above  the  Volsinian  lake  (see  on  49  above),  and  belonged  to  the 
Confederation.  It  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans,  who  compelled  the 
inhabitants  to  migrate  to  the  plain.  This  Roman  Volsinii  (the  modern 
Bolsena)  was  the  birthplace  of  Sejanus,  the  minister  and  favorite  of  Tibe- 
rius. 

324.  Who  slew  the  great  -wild  boar.     Pliny  (ii.  54)  says  that  during  the 


HORA  TIUS.  I39 

reign  of  Porsena  the  country  about  Volsinii  was  ravaged  by  a  monster 
called  Volta,  and  that  lightning  was  drawn  down  from  heaven  by  Porsena 
to  destroy  it 

326.  Cosa.  A  seaport  of  Etruria,  on  the  remarkable  promontory  of 
Mons  Argentarius  {Monte  Argentaro),  whence  Tacitus  speaks  of  it  as 
"Cosa,  a  promontory  of  Etruria."  The  remains  of  Cosa  (about  four 
miles  from  the  modern  Orbetello}  are  of  much  interest,  and  present  an 
excellent  specimen  of  ancient  fortifications.  The  walls,  nearly  a  mile  in 
circuit,  with  their  towers,  are  admirably  preserved. 

328.  Albinia.  A  river  of  Etruria,  the  modern  Albegna,  flowing  into 
the  sea  near  Mons  Argentarius.  It  is  the  same  as  the  Alminia  or  Al- 
miitir. 

337.  Campania.  A  province  of  Central  Italy,  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Latium,  on  the  east  by  the  mountains  of  Samnium,  on  the  south  by 
Lucania,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Tyrrhenian  Sea.  It  was  noted  for  its 
fertility,  the  beauty  of  its  sea-coast,  and  its  soft  and  genial  climate.  Its 
shores  also  abounded  in  hot-springs,  especially  at  Puteoli  (the  modern 
Fczznoli),  Baiae,  and  Neapolis  (Naples),  and  were  much  frequented  by 
the  Romans. 

Hinds.  Peasants,  so  called  as  belonging  to  the  household  or  hive  (a 
related  word).  The  d  is  no  part  of  the  original  word,  and  the  form  /line 
occurs  in  Chaucer. 

350.  Luna.     See  on  62  above. 

360.  The  she-wolfs  litter.  Alluding  to  the  familiar  legend  that  Rom- 
ulus and  Remus,  after  being  exposed  for  death  by  Amulius,  were  suckled 
by  a  she-wolf.  Cf.  Tennyson,  Princess,  vii.  113  : 

"  By  axe  and  eagle  sat, 

With  all  their  foreheads  drawn  in  Roman  scowls, 
And  half  the  wolf's  milk  curdled  in  their  veins, 
The  fierce  triumvirs." 

Also  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  iv.  88  (referring  to  the  bronze  "Wolf  of  the 
Capitol ")  : 

"  And  thou,  the  thunder-stricken  *  nurse  of  Rome, 

She-wolf!  whose  brazen-imaged  dugs  impart 

The  milk  of  conquest  yet  within  the  dome 

Where,  as  a  monument  of  antique  art, 

Thou  standest,''  etc. 

The  first  reading  of  lines  360,  361  (see  Trevelyan's  Life,  vol.  ii.  p.  108) 
was: 

"By  heaven,"  he  said,  "yon  rebels 
Stand  manfully  at  bay." 

Mr.  Ellis  criticised  "  rebels,"  and  Macaulay  agreed  with  him  that  the 
word  was  "objectionable."  See  on  200  above. 

369.  Deftly.  Neatly,  dexterously.  Cf.  Macbeth,  iv.  I.  68:  "Thyself 
and  office  deftly  show." 

*  This  statue  (see  cut  on  p-  106  above)  is  believed  by  some  antiquarians  to  be  the  one 
referred  to  by  Cicero  (Or.tt.  in  Catilinam,  iii  8)  as  having  been  s:ruck  by  lif;himng. 


140  NOTES. 

379.  Sped.     Sent,  drove.     On  the  passage,  see  p.  34  above. 

384.  Mount  Alvernus.  The  modern  Aivernia,  or  La  Vernia,  the  height 
between  the  sources  of  the  Tiber  and  the  Arno,  referred  to  by  Dante, 
Paradise,  xi.  106 :  "  Nel  crudo  sasso  intra  Tevere  ed  Arno."  On  its  south- 
west slope,  3900  feet  above  the  sea,  is  the  famous  monastery  founded  by 
St.  Francis  of  Assisi  in  1218. 

388.  Augurs.  Strictly  diviners  by  birds  (from  avis  and  a  Sanscrit  root 
g-ir),  but  in  course  of  time  the  word  was  used  in  a  more  extended  sense. 
At  Rome  the  augurs  were  a  college  of  priests,  who  made  known  the  future 
by  observing  the  lightning,  the  flight  of  birds,  the  feeding  of  the  sacred 
fowls,  certain  appearances  of  quadrupeds,  and  any  unusual  occurrences. 
All  important  acts  were  preceded  by  consultation  of  the  augurs.  See 
Virgil,  sEiieid,  \.  345:  "primisque  iugarat  Ominibus ;"  and  Cicero,  In 
Catilinam,  iv.  2 :  "  non  campus,  consularibus  auspiciis  consecratus." 
Cf.  also  Virginia,  151  below. 

477.  Constant.     Firm,  steadfast     Cf.  Shakespeare,  Tempest,  i.  2.  207  : 

"  Who  was  so  firm,  so  constant,  that  this  coil 
Would  not  infect  his  reason?" 

482.  Now  yield  thee,  etc.     Professor  John  Wilson,  of  Edinburgh  ("Ma- 
caulay's  ancient  adversary,"  as  Trevelyag  calls  him),  in  a  review  of  the 
Liiys  in  Blackwood  (vol.  52,  p.  812)   remarks:  "  Porsena  was  a  noble 
personage,  and  he  '  shines  well  where  he  stands '  throughout  the  ballad. 
Much  is  made  of  his  power  and  state  on  the  march,  for  he  knew  what 
kind  of  city  he  sought  to  storm.     But  his  magnanimity  is  grandly  dis- 
played by  his  behavior  at  the  bridge — in  contrast  with  the  false  Sextus, 
cruel  and  pusillanimous  ever." 

483.  Our  grace.     Our  mercy,  or  the  grace  (favor)  we  may  show  thee. 
Cf.  3  Hen.  VI.  ii.  2.  81  :   "  Now  perjur'd  Henry,  wilt  thou  kneel  for 
grace  ? " 

488.  Palatiniis.  One  of  the  seven  hills  of  Rome.  It  was  the  hill  first 
settled,  and  so  was  the  cradle  of  Rome,  as  well  as  the  seat  of  her  ma- 
tured power.  In  the  time  of  Horatius  the  dwellings  of  the  principal 
patricians  stood  there,  while  in  later  times  it  was  the  residence  of  the 
Roman  emperors,  "  ipsa  knperii  arx,"  as  Tacitus  (Hist.  iii.  70)  calls  it. 
From  Palatiniis  for  this  reason  is  derived  the  English  word  palace. 

492.  Father  Tiber.  The  Romans  generally  believed  that  the  Tiber  was 
originally  called  Albttla  (as  it  was  often  designated  by  the  poets),  but  that 
it  changed  its  name  because  Tiberinus,  one  of  the  fabulous  kings  of  Alba, 
was  drowned  in  its  waters.  Virgil,  however,  who  calls  the  king  Thybris, 
assigns  him  to  a  period  before  the  landing  of  tineas  (s£>tt'</,  viii.  330). 
As  Cicero  tells  us,  it  had  its  tutelaiy  divinity,  Tiberinus,  who  was  invoked 
by  the  augurs  in  their  prayers,  and  whom  the  poets  call  "  Pater  Tiberi- 
nus." See  cut  on  p.  39  above. 

511.  Swollen  high  by  months  of  rain.  Floods  of  the  Tiber,  which  did 
much  damage,  were  a  common  occurrence,  as  in  more  recent  times.  The 
earliest  recorded,  in  241  B.C.,  is  said  to  have  swept  away  all  the  houses 
and  buildings  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city.  Great  attention  was  given 
to  the  subject  by  Augustus,  and  he  first  instituted  magistrates,  called  Cu' 


HORA  TIUS. 


141 


ratores  Tibet  is,  whose  duty  it  was  to  endeavor  to  restrain  the  river  within 
its  proper  bounds.  Their  names  occur  frequently  in  inscriptions,  and  they 
were  held  in  high  honor. 

518.  I  ween.     I  suppose,  imagine,  think.     It  is  derived  from  a  Teu- 
tonic root  wan,  to  strive  after,  and  is  cognate  with  the  English  win.    From 
striving  after  is  derived  the  idea  of  expecting  to  obtain.     In  Shakespeare 
the  meaning  is  to  fancy  or  hope  (erroneously).      Cf.  Hen.  VIII.  v.  i. 
136: 

"  Ween  you  of  better  luck, 
I  mean  in  perjur'd  witness,  than  your  Master?" 

519.  In  such  an  evil  case.    Under  such  evil  circumstances.     Cf.  2  Hen. 
IV.  ii.  I.  115  :  "She  hath  been  in  good  case"  (that  is,  in  good  circum- 
stances). 

525.  Bare  bravely  up  his  chin.  Macaulay  quotes  here  the  ballad  of 
Cltilde  Waters:  "Our  ladye  bare  upp  her  chinne ;"  and  Scott's  Lay  of 
the  Last  Minstrel : 

"  Never  heavier  man  and  horse 
Stemmed  a  midnight  torrent's  force, 
******* 
Yet,  through  good  heart  and  our  Lady's  grace, 
At  length  he  gained  the  landing-place." 

530.  Quoth.  Properly  a  past  tense,  though  sometimes  used  as  a  pres- 
ent. The  infinitive  is  queath,  which  occurs  only  in  bequeath.  Shakespeare 
uses  it  as  a  present,  but  only  to  repeat  in  jest  or  irony  what  some  one  has 
said  before. 

535.  Now  on  dry  earth  he  stands.  According  to  the  version  of  Polybius, 
Horatius  defended  the  bridge  alone  and  perished  in  the  river.  As  Ma- 
caulay observes  in  his  introduction,  it  is  probable  that  there  were  two  old 
Roman  lays  on  the  subject. 

542.  The  corn-land*  etc.  The  state  possessed  a  large  quantity  of  land 
called  the  ager  fublicus.  This  land  originally  belonged  to  the  kings, 
being  set  apart  for  their  support ;  and  it  was  constantly  increased  by  con- 
quest, as  it  was  customary  on  the  subjugation  of  a  people  to  deprive  them 
of  a  certain  portion  of  their  land.  This  public  land  was  let  by  the  state, 
but  as  the  patricians  possessed  the  political  power,  they  divided  it  among 
themselves,  paying  only  a  nominal  rent.  See  on  261  alwve. 

546.  A  molten  image.  This  statue  was  afterwards  struck  by  lightning, 
and  the  Etruscan  soothsayers,  through  jealousy  of  the  glory  of  Rome, 
ordered  it  to  be  placed  in  a  spot  where  the  sun  never  shone  upon  it. 
\Vhen  the  treachery  of  the  soothsayers  was  discovered,  they  were  put  to 
death,  and  the  statue  was  placed  on  the  Vulcanal  above  the  comitium,  a 
change  which  brought  good-fortune  to  the  state.  It  may  be  noted  that 
the  earliest  bronze  statues  of  distinguished  men  which  can  be  considered 
historical  date  from  314  B.C. 

550.  Comitium.  The  place  of  assembly  of  the  curia,  part  of  the  forum 
in  its  widest  sense,  being  separated  from  the  forum  proper  by  the  rostra. 
Originally  the  orators  when  addressing  the  people  faced  the  comitium, 
but  C.  Gracchus — or  according  to  Varro  and  Cicero,  C.  Licinius — intro- 


I42  NOTES. 

duced  the  custom  of  facing  the  forum,  thus  acknowledging  the  sovereignty 
of  the  people. 

561.  The  Volscian.    The  Vohci  were  an  ancient  people  of  central  Italy, 
whose  territory  was  included  within  the  limits  of  Latium  in  its  widest 
sense.      They  were,  however,  a  distinct  people  from  the  Latins,  with 
whom  they  were  usually  on  terms  of  hostility.    The  legend  of  Coriola- 
nus,  while  not  historically  true,  shows  that  many  Latin  cities  fell  into 
the  power  of  the  Volscians  and  their  allies,  the  Aquians.     At  the  time 
when  this  lay  is  supposed  to  have  been  written,  the  Romans  and  Vol- 
scians were  engaged  in  continual  hostilities,  and  the  tide  had  turned  in 
favor  of  the  Romans. 

562.  Juno.     The  goddess  of  marriage  and  childbirth.      Cf.  Virgil, 
^/teiti,  iv.  59 :  "  lunoni  ante  omnis,  cui  vincla  iugalia  curae ;"  and  Id. 
iv.  166:  "pronuba  luno,"  etc.    See  also  Shakespeare,  A.  Y.  L.  v.  4.  107  : 
"  Wedding  is  great  Juno's  crown  " ;  and  Per.  ii.  3.  30  :  "  By  Juno,  that 
is  queen  of  marriage,"  etc. 

.  566-589.  And  in  the  nights  of  winter,  etc.  The  last  three  stanzas  give 
a  pleasing  picture  of  old  Roman  life.  For  a  somewhat  similar  description 
of  a  winter  scene,  cf.  Horace,  Odes,  i.  9.  i : 

"Vides  ut  aha  stet  nive  cnndidum 
S  oracte,  nee  iam  sust  meant  cm  us 
Silvae  laborantes  geluque 
Flumina  constiterint  acuto. 

"  Dissolve  frigus  ligna  super  foco 
Large  reponens,  atque  benignius 
Deprome  quadrimum  Sabina, 
O  Thaliarche,  merum  diota." 

See  also  Virgil,  Eel.  i.  Si  : 

"  Siint  nobis  mitia  pqma, 
Castaneae  molles,  et  press)  cupia  lactis  " 

572.  Algidns.  A  mountain  of  Latium,  part  of  the  group  of  the  Albnn 
Hills.  It  is  celebrated  by  Horace  for  its  black  woods  of  holm-oaks,  and 
for  its  cold  and  snowy  climate.  He  calls  it  "  gelido"  and  "nivali."  See 
also  "nigrae  feraci  frondis  in  Algido"  (Odes,  iv.  4.  58).  Martial  calls  it 
"  amoena  Algida,"  because  in  his  day  its  lower  slopes  were  much  fre- 
quented as  a  summer  resort. 

582.  Goodman.  The  master  of  the  house.  Used  often  as  here,  as  an 
equivalent  of  the  Latin  pater  familia s.  Cf.  Tennyson,  Princess,  \.  443: 
"And  her  small  goodman  shrinks  in  his  chair." 

Professor  Wilson  (in  the  Blackwood  review  quoted  above)  remarks : 
"  There  are  critics  who  think  they  have  paid  a  ballad  of  some  six  hun- 
dred lines,  like  this,  the  highest  of  all  possible  compliments  when  they 
have  said  that  they  read  it  once  and  again  right  through,  from  beginning 
to  end,  without  fatigue  or  ennui,  and  without  skipping  a  single  stanza — 
a  week  only  having  intervened  between  perusals.  And  nothing  more 
common  than  to  hear  people  in  general  speak  of  one  perusal  as  the  ut- 
most demand  any  human  composition  can  be  privileged  to  make  on  any 
human  patience.  The  instant  they  happen  to  take  up  a  book  they  have 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.          143 

'  read  before,'  that  very  instant  they  drop  it,  as  if  their  hand  were  stung. 
'Why,  Sir  Walter  kept  reciting  his  favorite  old  ballads  almost  every  day 
in  his  life  for  forty  years,  and  with  the  same  fire  about  his  eyes,  till  even 
they  grew  dim  at  last.  He  would  have  rejoiced  in  Horatius,  as  if  he  had 
been  a  doughty  Douglas.  We  have  read  it  till  we  find  we  have  got  it 
by  heart,  and,  as  our  memory  is  nothing  remarkable,  all  the  syllables 
must  have  gone  six  times  through  our  sensorium." 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   LAKE   REGILLUS. 

Macaulay's  introduction  to  the  poem  is  as  follows : 

"The  following  poem  is  supposed  to  have  been  produced  about  ninety 
years  after  the  lay  of  Horatius.  Some  persons  mentioned  in  the  lay  of 
Horatiits  make  their  appearance  again,  and  some  appellations  and  epi- 
thets used  in  the  lay  of  Horatius  have  been  purposely  repeated ;  for, 
in  an  age  of  ballad-poetry,  it  scarcely  ever  fails  to  happen  that  certain 
phrases  come  to  be  appropriated  to  certain  men  and  things,  and  are  reg- 
ularly applied  to  those  men  and  things  by  every  minstrel.  Thus  we  find, 
both  in  the  Homeric  poems  and  in  Hesiod,  p/ij  'Hp«eX»j€i'^,  irtpucXi'iroc 
'-A^tyu/j«e.  liaKTOpot;  ' 'Apyei^orr/jc,  tTrrajrvXot;  Bjj/3i;,  'EAevj/s;  IVIK  TI'VKO- 
fioto.  Thus,  too,  in  our  own  national  songs,  Douglas  is  almost  always 
the  doughty  Douglas ;  England  is  merry  England ;  all  the  gold  is  red ; 
and  all  the  ladies  are  gay. 

"  The  principal  distinction  between  the  lay  of  Horatius  and  the  lay 
of  the  iMke  Kegillus  is  that  the  former  is  meant  to  be  purely  Roman, 
while  the  latter,  though  national  in  its  general  spirit,  has  a  slight  tincture 
of  Greek  learning  and  of  Greek  superstition.  The  story  of  the  Tarquins, 
as  it  has  come  down  to  us,  appears  to  have  been  compiled  from  the  works 
of  several  popular  poets ;  and  one,  at  least,  of  those  poets  appears  to 
have  visited  the  Greek  colonies  in  Italy,  if  not  Greece  itself,  and  to  have 
had  some  acquaintance  with  the  works  of  Homer  and  Herodotus.  Many 
of  the  most  striking  adventures  of  the  House  of  Tarquin,  before  Lucretia 
makes  her  appearance,  have  a  Greek  character.  The  Tarquins  them- 
selves are  represented  as  Corinthian  nobles  of  the  great  House  of  the 
Bacchiadae,  driven  from  their  country  by  the  tyranny  of  that  Cypselus  the 
tale  of  whose  strange  escape  Herodotus  has  related  with  incomparable 
simplicity  and  liveliness.*  Livy  and  Dionysius  tell  us  that,  when  Tar- 
quin the  Proud  was  asked  what  was  the  best  mode  of  governing  a  con- 
quered city,  he  replied  only  by  beating  down  with  his  staff  all  the  tallest 
poppies  in'  his  garden.t  This  is  exactly  what  Herodotus,  in  the  passage 
to  which  reference  has  already  been  made,  relates  of  the  counsel  given  to 
Perinnder,  the  son  of  Cypselus.  The  stratagem  by  which  the  town  of 
Gabii  is  brought  under  the  power  of  the  Tarquins  is,  again,  obviously 
copied  from  Herodotus.}  The  embassy  of  the  young  Tarquins  to  the 

*  Herodotus,  v.  02  :  Livy,  v.  i.  34  ;  Dionysius,  iii.  46. 
t  Livy.  i   51  :  Dionysius.  iv.  56. 
%  Herodotus,  iii.  134  ;  Livy,  i.  53. 


144 


NOTES. 


oracle  at  Delphi  is  just  such  a  story  as  would  be  told  by  a  poet  whose 
head  was  full  of  the  Greek  mythology  ;  and  the  ambiguous  answer  re- 
turned by  Apollo  is  in  the  exact  style  of  the  prophecies  which,  according 
to  Herodotus,  lured  Croesus  to  destruction.  Then  the  character  of  the 
narrative  changes.  From  the  first  mention  of  Lucretia  to  the  retreat  of 
Porsena  nothing  seems  to  be  borrowed  from  foreign  sources.  The  vil- 
lany  of  Sextus,  the  suicide  of  his  victim,  the  revolution,  the  death  of  the 
sons  of  Brutus,  the  defence  of  the  bridge,  Mucius  burning  his  hand,* 
Clcelia  swimming  through  Tiber,  seem  to  be  all  strictly  Roman.  But 
when  we  have  done  with  the  Tuscan  war,  and  enter  upon  the  war  with 
the  Latines,  we  are  again  struck  by  the  Greek  air  of  the  story.  The  Bat- 
tle of  the  Lake  Regillus  is,  in  all  respects,  a  Homeric  battle,  except  that 
the  combatants  ride  astride  on  their  horses,  instead  of  driving  chariots. 
The  mass  of  fighting-men  is  hardly  mentioned.  The  leaders  single  each 
other  out,  and  engage  hand  to  hand.  The  great  object  of  the  warriors 
on  both  sides  is,  as  in  the  Iliad,  to  obtain  possession  of  the  spoils  and 
bodies  of  the  slain  ;  and  several  circumstances  are  related  which  forcibly 
remind  us  of  the  great  slaughter  round  the  corpses  of  Sarpedon  and 
Patroclus. 

"  But  there  is  one  circumstance  which  deserves  especial  notice.  Both 
the  war  of  Troy  and  the  war  of  Regillus  were  caused  by  the  licentious 
passions  of  young  princes,  who  were  therefore  peculiarly  bound  not  to  be 
sparing  of  their  own  persons  in  the  day  of  battle.  Now  the  conduct  of 
Sextus  at  Regillus,  as  described  by  Livy,  so  exactly  resembles  that  of 
Paris,  as  described  at  the  beginning  of  the  thind  book  of  the  Iliad,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  believe  the  resemblance  accidental.  Paris  appears  be- 
fore the  Trojan  ranks,  defying  the  bravest  Greek  to  encounter  him. 


..  f 

uvrifttov  jitaxf<racr0ui  tv  an-;;  dqcoriJTi. 

Livy  introduces  Sextus  in  a  similar  manner  :  '  Ferocem  juvenem  Tar- 
quinium,  ostentantetn  se  in  prima  exsulum  acie.'  Menelaus  rushes  to 
meet  Paris.  A  Roman  noble,  eager  for  vengeance,  spurs  his  horse  tow- 
ards Sextus.  Both  the  guilty  princes  are  instantly  terror-stricken  : 

Toy  A'  ««f  uvv  tvoqcrev  'A\t(av&pot  ^eoei&i/r 

iv  jrpon^x."""  Qoivi-vra,  KuTeTrAtVyi  <f>i\ov  riTop' 

a*l>  A'  .  T<ipw»  fir  eOvot  t  X''t€TO  "'ip'  uXefivav. 

'  Tarquinius,'  says  Livy,  '  retro  in  agmen  suorum  infenso  cessit  hosti.' 
If  this  be  a  fortuitous  coincidence,  it  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  in 
literature. 

"  In  the  following  poem,  therefore,  images  and  incidents  have  been 
borrowed,  not  merely  without  scruple,  but  on  principle,  from  the  incom- 
parable battle-pieces  of  Homer. 

"  The  popular  belief  at  Rome,  from  an  early  period,  seems  to  have 

*  M.  de  Pouilly  attempted,  a  hundred  and  twenty  years  ago,  to  prove  that  the  story 
of  Mucius  was  of  Greek  origin  ;  but  he  was  signally  confuted  by  the  Abbe  Sallier.  See 
the  Mimoires  afe  I'Acadiiitie  ties  Inscriptions,  vi.  27,  66. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.          145 

been  that  the  event  of  the  great  day  of  Regillus  was  decided  by  super- 
natural agency.  Castor  and  Pollux,  it  was  said,  had  fought,  armed  and 
mounted,  at  the  head  of  the  legions  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  had  after- 
wards carried  the  news  of  the  victory  with  incredible  speed  to  the  city. 
The  well  in  the  Forum  at  which  they  had  alighted  was  pointed  out.  Near 
the  well  rose  their  ancient  temple.  A  great  festival  was  kept  to  their 
honor  on  the  ides  of  Quintilis,  supposed  to  be  the  anniversary  of  the  bat- 
tle ;  and  on  that  day  sumptuous  sacrifices  were  offered  to  them  at  the 
public  charge.  One  spot  on  the  margin  of  Lake  Regillus  was  regarded 
during  many  ages  with  superstitious  awe.  A  mark,  resembling  in  shape 
a  horse's  hoof,  was  discernible  in  the  volcanic  rock  ;  and  this  mark  was 
believed  to  have  been  made  by  one  of  the  celestial  chargers. 

"  How  the  legend  originated  cannot  now  be  ascertained ;  but  we  may 
easily  imagine  several  ways  in  which  it  might  have  originated ;  nor  is  it 
at  all  necessary  to  suppose,  with  Julius  Frontinus,  that  two  young  men 
were  dressed  up  by  the  Dictator  to  personate  the  sons  of  Leda.  It  is 
probable  that  Livy  is  correct  when  he  says  that  the  Roman  general,  in 
the  hour  of  peril,  vowed  a  temple  to  Castor.  If  so,  nothing  could  be 
more  natural  than  that  the  multitude  should  ascribe  the  victory  to  the 
favor  of  the  Twin  Gods.  When  such  was  the  prevailing  sentiment,  any 
man  who  chose  to  declare  that,  in  the  midst  of  the  confusion  and  slaugh- 
ter, he  had  seen  two  godlike  forms  on  white  horses  scattering  the  Latines 
would  find  ready  credence.  We  know,  indeed,  that,  in  modern  times,  a 
very  similar  story  actually  found  credence  among  a  people  much  more 
civilized  than  the  Romans  of  the  fifth  century  before  Christ.  A  chaplain 
of  Cortes,  writing  about  thirty  years  after  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  in  an 
age  of  printing-presses,  libraries,  universities,  scholars,  logicians,  jurists, 
and  statesmen,  had  the  face  to  assert  that,  in  one  engagement  against  the 
Indians,  Saint  James  had  appeared  on  a  gray  horse  at  the  head  of  the 
Castilian  adventurers.  Many  of  those  adventurers  were  living  when  this 
lie  was  printed.  One  of  them,  honest  Bernal  Diaz,  wrote  an  account 
of  the  expedition.  He  had  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses  against  the 
legend ;  but  he  seems  to  have  distrusted  even  the  evidence  of  his  own 
senses.  He  says  that  he  was  in  the  battle,  and  that  he  saw  a  gray  horse 
with  a  man  on  his  back,  but  the  man  was,  to  his  thinking,  Francisco  cle 
Morla,  and  not  the  ever-blessed  apostle  Saint  James.  'Nevertheless,' 
Bernal  adds,  'it  may  be  that  the  person  on  the  gray  horse  was  the  glori- 
ous apostle  Saint  James,  and  that  I,  sinner  that  I  am,  was  unworthy  to 
see  him.'  The  Romans  of  the  age  of  Cincinnattis  were  probably  quite  as 
credulous  as  the  Spanish  subjects  of  Charles  the  Fifth.  It  is  therefore 
conceivable  that  the  appearance  of  Castor  and  Pollux  may  have  become 
an  article  of  faith  before  the  generation  which  had  fought  at  Regillus  had 
passed  away.  Nor  could  anything  be  more  natural  than  that  the  poets 
of  the  next  age  should  embellish  this  story,  and  make  the  celestial  horse- 
men bear  the  tidings  of  victory  to  Rome. 

"  Many  years  after  the  temple  of  the  Twin  Gods  had  been  built  in  the 
Forum,  an  important  addition  was  made  to  the  ceremonial  by  which  the 
state  annually  testified  its  gratitude  for  their  protection.  Quintus  Fabius 
and  Publius  Decius  were  elected  censors  at  a  momentous  crisis.  It  had 


146  NOTES. 

become  absolutely  necessary  that  the  classification  of  the  citizens  should 
be  revised.  On  that  classification  depended  the  distribution  of  political 
power.  Party-spirit  ran  high  ;  and  the  Republic  seemed  to  be  in  danger 
of  falling  under  the  dominion  either  of  a  narrow  oligarchy  or  of  an  igno- 
rant and  headstrong  rabble.  Under  such  circumstances,  the  most  illus- 
trious patrician  and  the  most  illustrious  plebeian  of  the  age  were  intrusted 
with  the  office  of  arbitrating  between  the  angry  factions ;  and  they  per- 
formed their  arduous  task  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  honest  and  reasonable 
men. 

"  One  of  their  reforms  was  a  remodelling  of  the  equestrian  order  ;  and, 
having  effected  this  reform,  they  determined  to  give  to  their  work  a  sanc- 
tion derived  from  religion.  In  the  chivalrous  societies  of  modern  times 
— societies  which  have  much  more  than  may  at  first  sight  appear  in  com- 
mon with  the  equestrian  order  of  Rome — it  has  been  usual  to  invoke  the 
special  protection  of  some  saint,  and  to  observe  his  day  with  peculiar 
solemnity.  Thus  the  Companions  of  the  Garter  wear  the  image  of  Saint 
George  depending  from  their  collars,  and  meet,  on  great  occasions,  in 
Saint  George's  Chapel.  Thus,  when  Louis  the  Fourteenth  instituted  a 
new  order  of  chivalry  for  the  rewarding  of  military  merit,  he  commended 
it  to  the  favor  of  his  own  glorified  ancestor  and  patron,  and  decreed  that 
all  the  members  of  the  fraternity  should  meet  at  the  royal  palace  on  the 
feast  of  Saint  Louis,  should  attend  the  king  to  chapel,  should  hear  mass, 
and  should  subsequently  hold  their  great  annual  assembly.  There  is  a 
considerable  resemblance  between  this  rule  of  the  Order  of  Saint  Louis 
and  the  rule  which  Fabius  and  Decius  made  respecting  the  Roman 
knights.  It  was  ordained  that  a  grand  muster  and  inspection  of  the 
equestrian  body  should  be  part  of  the  ceremonial  performed,  on  the  an- 
niversary of  the  battle  of  Regillus,  in  honor  of  Castor  and  Pollux,  the 
two  equestrian  gods.  All  the  knights,  clad  in  purple  and  crowned  with 
olive,  were  to  meet  at  a  temple  of  Mars  in  the  suburbs.  Thence  they 
were  to  ride  in  state  to  the  Forum,  where  the  temple  of  the  Twins  stood. 
This  pageant  was,  during  several  centuries,  considered  as  one  of  the  most 
splendid  sights  of  Rome.  In  the  time  of  Dionysius  the  cavalcade  some- 
times consisted  of  five  thousand  horsemen,  all  persons  of  fair  repute  and 
easy  fortune.* 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  censors  who  instituted  this  august 
ceremony  acted  in  concert  with  the  pontiffs,  to  whom,  by  the  constitution 
of  Rome,  the  superintendence  of  the  public  worship  belonged  ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  those  high  religious  functionaries  were,  as  usual,  fortunate 
enough  to  find  in  their  books  or  traditions  some  warrant  for  the  inno- 
vation. 

"  The  following  poem  is  supposed  to  have  been  made  for  this  great 
occasion.  Songs,  we  know,  were  chanted  at  the  religious  festivals  of 
Rome  from  an  early  period,  indeed  from  so  early  a  period  that  some  of 
the  sacred  verses  were  popularly  ascribed  to  Numa,  and  were  utterly  un- 

*  See  Livy,  ix.  46  ;  Val.  Max.  ii.  2  ;  Aurel.  Viet  De  Viris  lUustrifrus,  32  ;  Dionysius, 
vi.  13;  Plin.  Hist.  Nat.  xv.  5.  See  also  the  singularly  ingenious  chapter  in  Niebuhr's 
posthumous  volume,  Dit  Censur  des  Q.  Fabius  und  P.  Decius. 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


'47 


intelligible  in  the  age  of  Augustus.  In  the  Second  Punic  war,  a  great 
feast  was  held  in  honor  of  Juno,  and  a  song  was  sung  in  her  praise.  This 
song  was  extant  when  Livy  wrote,  and,  though  exceedingly  rugged  and 
uncouth,  seemed  to  him  not  wholly  destitute  of  merit.*  A  song,  as  we 
learn  from  Horace.t  was  part  of  the  established  ritual  at  the  great  Secular 
Jubilee.  It  is  therefore  likely  that  the  censors  and  pontiffs,  when  they 
had  resolved  to  add  a  grand  procession  of  knights  to  the  other  solemni- 
ties annually  performed  on  the  ides  of  Quintilis,  would  call  in  the  aid  of 
a  poet.  Such  a  poet  would  naturally  take  for  his  subject  the  battle  of 
Regillus,  the  appearance  of  the  Twin  Gods,  and  the  institution  of  their 
festival.  He  would  find  abundant  materials  in  the  ballads  of  his  prede- 
cessors; and  he  would  make  free  use  of  the  scanty  stock  of  Greek  learn- 
ing which  he  had  himself  acquired.  He  would  probably  introduce  some 
wise  and  holy  pontiff  enjoining  the  magnificent  ceremonial  which,  after  a 
long  interval,  had  at  length  been  adopted.  It  the  poem  succeeded,  many 
persons  would  commit  it  to  memory.  Parts  of  it  would  be  sung  to  the 
pipe  at  banquets.  It  would  be  peculiarly  interesting  to  the  great  Posthu- 
mian  House,  which  numbered  among  its  many  images  that  of  the  Dic- 
tator Aulus,  the  hero  of  Regillus.  The  orator  who,  in  the  following 
generation,  pronounced  the  funeral  panegyric  over  the  remains  of  Lucius 
Posthumius  Magellus,  thrice  Consul,  would  borrow  largely  from  the  lay; 
and  thus  some  passages,  much  disfigured,  would  probably  find  their  way 
into  the  chronicles  which  were  afterwards  in  the  hands  of  Dionysius  and 
Livy. 

"  Antiquaries  differ  widely  as  to  the  situation  of  the  field  of  battle.  The 
opinion  of  those  who  suppose  that  the  armies  met  near  Cornufelle,  be- 
tween Frascati  and  the  Monte  Porzio,  is  at  least  plausible,  and  has  been 
followed  in  the  poem. 

"  As  to  the  details  of  the  battle,  it  has  not  been  thought  desirable  to 
adhere  minutely  to  the  accounts  which  have  come  down  to  us.  Those 
accounts,  indeed,  differ  widely  from  each  other,  and,  in  all  probability, 
differ  as  widely  from  the  ancient  poem  from  which  they  were  originally 
derived. 

"  It  is  unnecessary  to  point  out  the  obvious  imitations  of  the  Iliad, 
which  have  been  purposely  introduced." 

2.  Lictors.  Public  officers  who  attended  the  chief  Roman  magistrates, 
as  a  sign  of  official  dignity.  They  bore  a  bundle  of  rods  cal  led  fasces,  from 
which  an  axe  projected.  Their  duty  was  to  walk  before  the  magistrates 
in  line,  to  call  out  to  the  people  to  make  way,  and  to  serve  as  a  body- 
guard. They  also  executed  judicial  sentences.  In  the  earliest  times  the 
kings  had  twelve  lictors.  After  the  expulsion  of  the  kings,  each  consul 
had  twelve,  but  it  was  soon  decreed  that  they  should  be  preceded  for  a 
month  by  twelve  in  turn.  By  a  law  of  Valerius  Publicola  (see  on  376 
below)  the  axes  were  removed  when  the  consuls  were  in  the  city.  The 
praetors  were  preceded  by  six  lictors.  Hence  Cicero,  when  speaking  of 
the  capture  of  two  praetors  by  the  pirates,  says  (De  Lege  Manilla,  12.32) : 

*  Livy,  xxvii.  97.  t  Horace    Carmen  Saculare. 


148 


ArOTES. 


"  Cum  duodecim  secures  in  praedonum 
potestatem  pervenerint." 

3.  The  knights  will  ride  in  all  their 
pride,  etc.  The  knights  (equites)  were 
originally  the  cavalry  of  the  state,  who 
received  a  horse  and  a  sum  of  money 
for  its  annual  support.  To  serve  equo 
publico  one  must  have  a  fortune  ot 
not  less  than  400,000  asses,  and  the 
horses  were  usually  assigned  to  young 
men  of  senatorial  families.  There  were 
but  six  centuries  of  equites  up  to  the 
time  of  Servius  Tullius,  who  added 
twelve  more ;  and  these  eighteen  eques- 
trian centuries  afterwards  remained  a 
distinct  class.  They  ceased  to  serve 
in  the  field  at  an  early  period,  their 
place  being  taken  by  foreign  cavalry, 
Gauls,  Numidians,  etc. 

At  the  time  of  the  siege  of  Veii 
(403  B.C.)  a  second  class  of  equites 
arose,  who,  although  having  a  proper-  LICTORS. 

ty  of  400,000  asses,  had  to  furnish  their 

own  horses.  They  were  mostly  wealthy  young  men  of  non-senatorial 
families,  and  were  not  included  in  the  eighteen  equestrian  centuries. 
From  this  last  class  of  equites  (equites  private  equo)  grew  up  in  later  times 
the  Equestrian  Order,  a  moneyed  aristocracy  occupying  a  position  in  the 
state  between  the  nobility  (see  on  fforatius,  138  above)  and  the  common 
people.  The  members  of  the  equestrian  order  wore  a  narrow  purple 
stripe  on  the  tunic  and  a  gold  ring  (which  was  originally  the  badge  of  the 
equites  equo  publico),  and  the  first  fourteen  rows  of  seats  in  the  theatre  be- 
hind the  orchestra  were  given  to  them. 

Every  year  on  the  ides  of  Quintilis  (July)  the  Eqtiituin  Transvectio 
took  place,  the  solemn  procession  to  the  institution  of  which  Macaulay 
refers  on  p.  146  above.  On  this  occasion  the  equites  were  not  only 
crowned  with  olive,  but  they  also  wore  their  insignia  of  rank  and  deeds. 
According  to  Dionysius  this  procession  was  instituted  after  the  battle 
of  Lake  Regillus. 

7.  Castor  in  the  Forum.  The  temple  of  Castor.  Cf.  Horace,  Satires, 
\.  9. 35  :  "  Ventum  erat  ad  Vestae,"  that  is  to  the  temple  (or,  as  some  au- 
thorities say,  to  the  Atrium)  of  Vesta  ;  and  see  745  below.  This  temple 
was  one  of  the  earliest  buildings  erected  in  the  forum.  It  was  dedicated 
in  484  B.C.  to  commemorate  the  event  which  is  the  subject  of  this  poem. 
It  served  for  assemblies  of  the  senate  and  for  judicial  business.  Its  im- 
portance is  spoken  of  by  Cicero,  In  Verrem,  i.  49.  Although  dedicated 
to  the  Twin  Gods,  it  was  commonly  called  only  ^Edes  Ca stons  ;  on  which 
account  Bibulus,  the  colleague  of  Caesar  in  his  aedileship,  compared  him- 
self with  Pollux,  who,  though  he  shared  the  temple  in  common  with  his 
brother,  was  never  once  named.  The  temple  was  rebuilt  by  Quintus  Me- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


149 


tellus,  119  B.C.,  and  again  by  Tiberius,  who  dedicated  it  in  his  own  name 
and  that  of  his  brother  Drusus.  Caligula  broke  through  the  rear  wall 
and  connected  the  temple  with  his  palace  on  the  Palatine;  and  he  is  said 
to  have  sometimes  exhibited  himself  for  adoration  between  the  statues  of 
the  twin  deities.  Three  elegant  Corinthian  columns  remain  to  mark  the 
site  of  this  temple. 

The  word/arum  signifies  an  open  place,  and  seems  to  be  connected  with 
the  adverb  foras.  The  Forum  Rcmianum,  the  principal  and  at  first  the 
only  forum  at  Rome,  was  situated  between  the  Palatine  and  Capitoline 
hills.  It  was  used  originally  as  a  place  for  the  administration  of  justice, 
for  holding  the  assemblies  of  the  people,  and  for  transacting  other  kinds 
of  public  business.  In  its  widest  sense  it  included  the  comitittm  (see  on 
Horatius,  550  above).  It  was  surrounded  by  temples  and  public  build- 
ings, whose  porticoes  were  favorite  lounging-places  (see  on  Virginia,  419 
below). 

8.  Mars  without  the  wall.  The  temple  of  Mars,  just  outside  the  Porta 
Capena.  Cf.  Ovid,  Fasti,  vi.  191  : 


"  Lux  eadem  Marti  festa  est ;  quam  prospicit  ex 
Appositum  Tectae  Porta  Capena  viae." 


No  trace  now  remains  of  the  edifice,  nor  of  the  temples  of  Hercules,  of 
Honor,  and  of  Virtue,  which  were  near  it.  The  route  of  the  military  pro- 
cession on  the  anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Lake  Regillus  was  as  here  de- 
scribed by  Macaulay.  Cf.  788  below. 

13.  The  Yellow  River.     See  on  Horatius,  98  above. 

14.  The  Sacred  Hill.    The  Sacred  Mount,  just  outside  the  city,  to  which 
the  plebeians  made  several  secessions  during  their  struggles  with  the  pa- 
tricians.    The  first  secession,  in  494  B.C.,  resulted  in  the  creation  of  the 
office  of  tribune. 

15.  The  ides  of  Quintilis.     The  fifteenth  day  of  July.     The  ides  were 
the  fifteenth  of  March,  May,  July,  and  October,  and  the  thirteenth  of  the 
other  months.    July  and  August  were  originally  called  Quintilis  and  Sex- 
tilis,  the  fifth  and  sixth  months  (counting  from  March),  but  afterwards 
received  their  present  names  in  honor  of  Julius  and  Augustus  Caesar. 

17.  The  Martian  calends.  On  the  calends,  or  first,  of  March  was  cel- 
ebrated the  Matronaiia,  or  the  feast  of  married  persons  in  honor  of  Juno 
Lucina  (see  on  Horatins,  562  above).  See  Horace,  Odes,  iii.  8.  i: 

"  Martiis  caelebs  quid  again  Kalendis, 
Quid  velint  flores  et  acerra  thuris 
Plena,  miraris.  positusque  carbo  in 

Caespite  vivo, 
Docte  sermones  utriusque  linguae?" 

Juvenal  (ix.  53)  calls  it  "femineas  Kalendas."  It  seems  to  have  been  in- 
stituted in  memory  of  the  peace  between  the  Romans  and  the  Sabines, 
which  was  brought  about  by  the  Sabine  women.  Presents  were  given  by 
husbands  to  their  wives,  and  female  slaves  were  feasted  by  their  mis- 
tresses ;  hence  it  is  called  by  Martial  the  Saturnalia  of  women.  Tlie 
great  feast  of  Mars  (see  on  Horatius,  81  above)  occurred  on  the  same  day. 


I5o  NOTES. 

18.  December's  nones.  The  nones  were  the  seventh  of  March,  May, 
July,  and  October,  and  the  fifth  of  the  other  months.  The  word  is  de- 
rived from  nonns  (ninth),  because,  by  the  peculiar  Roman  method  of 
inclusive  reckoning,  the  nones  were  the  ninth  day  before  the  ides.  The 
reference  is  to  the  Faunalia,  or  festival  in  honor  of  Faunus.  See  Hor- 
ace, Odes,  iii.  1 8.  10. 

zo.  Rome's  whitest  day.  That  is,  its  most  propitious  day.  Cf.  156  and 
780  below,  where  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  Roman  custom  of  marking 
luckv  days  with  a  white  stone,  as  unlucky  ones  were  marked  with  black. 
Cf.  Tibullus,  iii.  630:  "O  me  felicem,  O  nox  mihi  Candida  !"  Horace, 
Satires,  ii.  3.  246  :  "  Sanin  creta  an  carbone  notandi  ?"  Id.  Odes,  i.  12.27 : 
"  simul  alba  nautis  Stella  refulsit ;"  Persius,  Satires,  i.  1 10  :  "  Sed  current 
albusque  dies  horaeque  serenae,"  etc. 

25.  Parthenius.  A  mountain,  about  4000  feet  high,  on  the  frontiers  of 
Arcadia  and  Argolis,  across  which  there  was  an  important  pass  leading 
from  Argos  to  Tegea.  The  mountain  was  sacred  to  Pan.  The  pass  still 
bears  the  name  of  Partheni,  but  the  mountain  is  called  R6ino. 

27.  Cirrha.     A  very  ancient  town  of  Phocis,  near  Delphi,  devoted  to 
Apollo.     Near  the  city  lay  a  fertile  plain.     After  the  Sacred  War,  595 
B.C.,  waged  against  the  Cirrhaeans  by  the  Amphictyons,  Cirrha  was  de- 
stroyed, the  plain  was  dedicated  to  the  god,  and  a  curse  was  imprecated 
on  any  one  who  should  till  or  dwell  upon  it     In  the  time  of  Philip  I.  of 
Macedon,  the  Amphissians  dared  to  cultivate  the  sacred  plain  and  to  re- 
build the  city.     This  led  to  the  Second  Sacred  War,  338  B.C.    Cirrha  was 
near  the  Homeric  Crissa,  with  which  it  has  been  sometimes  confounded, 
as  by  Pausanias  (x.  37.  5).     It  is  Crissa  which  was  situated  on  a  height, 
a  spur  of  Mount  Parnassus.     Cirrha  grew  up  afterwards  at  the  base  of 
the  hill.     Our  author  seems  to  look  on  the  two  towns  as  one  and  the 
same. 

Adria.  Poetical  name  for  the  Adriatic.  Cf.  653  below  ;  and  see  on 
Virginia,  551.  The  Latin  name  was  Adria,  or  more  properly  Hadria. 
Cf.  Byron,  Don  Jnan:  "  The  song  and  oar  of  Adria's  gondolier." 

28.  Apennine.    The  singular  is  according  to  the  Latin  usage.    The  Ro- 
mans called  the  chain  Afons  Apenninus.    Cf.  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  iv.  73  : 

"  Once  more  upon  the  woody  Apennine, 
The  infant  Alps.'' 

31.  Lacedatiion.     Or  Sparta,  the  famous  capital  of  Laconia,  on  the  Eu- 
rotas.    The  Dioscuri  (Castor  and  Pollux)  were  the  sons  of  Leda  and  Tyn- 
dareus,  king  of  Lacedaemon,  and  brothers  of  Helen  and  Clytemnestra. 

32.  The  city  of  two  kings.     From  the  earliest  times  the  Lacedaemo- 
nians were  governed  by  two  kings.     This  custom  is  said  to  have  arisen 
from  the  fact  that  Aristodemus,  one  of  the  Heraclidae,  who,  according  to 
the  myth,  overran  the  Peloponnesus,  had  twin  sons. 

33.  Lake  Regillns.     A  small  lake  in  Latium,  at  the  foot  of  the  Tus- 
culan  hills.     See  Macaulay's  introduction  to  the  poem  above.     On  the 
whole,  the  lake  (now  dried  up)  is  more  likely  to  have  been  in  the  broad 
plain  to  the  north  of  the  "  Porcian  height,"  between  the  ancient  Gabii 
and  the  modern  town  of  Colonna. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.    15! 

34.  The  Porcian  height.     M.  Porcius  Cato,  among  other  distinguished 
Romans,  had  a  villa  northeast  of  Tusculum,  on  a  hill  which  seems  thence 
to  have  got  the  name  of  Mons  Porcius  (now  Monte  Porzio). 

35.  Tusculum.     See  on  Horatins,  96  above. 

37-40.  Now  on  the  place  of  slaughter,  etc.  With  this  description  of 
the  present  peaceful  aspect  of  a  battle-field,  cf.  Byron,  Childe  Harold, 
iv.  65 : 

"  Far  other  scene  is  Trasimene  now: 
Her  lake  a  sheet  of  silver,  and  her  plain 
Rent  by  no  ravage  save  the  gentle  plow ; 
Her  aged  trees  rise  thick  as  once  the  slain 
Lay  where  their  roots  are." 

42.  Gome's  oaks.      Pliny  (Nat.  Hist.  xvi.  92)  describes  a  hill  called 
Come  in  this  part  of  Italy,  whereon  there  was  a  grove  of  beeches,  one  of 
which,  remarkable  for  its  size,  was  so  much  admired  by  Passienus,  the 
orator  and  consul,  that  he  used  to  embrace  it,  sleep  under  it,  and  pour 
wine  upon  it.     Near  this  grove  was  a  holm-oak  (ilex)  so  large  that,  as 
Pliny  says,  it  was  a  forest  of  itself  (silvamque  sola  facit). 

43.  The  Fair  Fount.    Evidently  a  fountain  in  the  same  vicinity,  but  we 
have  not  met  with  any  reference  to  it  in  the  authorities. 

45.  Angle.  A  fishing-hook  (A.  S.  angel).  Cf.  the  Latin  uncus,  and 
the  Greek  oyicoc,  dyicwv. 

63.  What  time.  At  the  time  when  ;  used  only  in  poetry.  Cf.  Milton, 
Lycidas,  28:  "  What  time  the  gray-fly  winds  her  sultry  horn,"  etc. 

The  Thirty  Cities.  Pliny  tells  us  that  there  were  thirty  towns  or  com- 
munities which  were  accustomed  to  share  in  sacrifices  on  the  Alban 
Mount ;  and  this  number  seems  to  have  been  a  recognized  and  established 
one,  for  the  Latin  League  which  entered  into  an  alliance  with  Rome  in 
493  B.C.  also  consisted  of  thirty  cities,  of  which  a  list  is  given  by  Diony- 
sitis. 

69.  A  hoof-mark.     See  Macaulay's  introduction,  p.  145  above. 

81.  Virginins.     The  first  of  the  Virginia  gens  to  be  consul  was  T.  Vir- 
ginius  Tricostus  Caeliomontanus,  in  496  B.C. 

82.  Was  Consul  first  in  pLtce.    The  two  consuls  had  equal  rights  in  all 
respects.      Virginias  was  merely  the  first  td  obtain  a  majority  in  the 
comitia.     Cf.  Cicero,  Pro  Lege  Manilla,  1.2:  "  Cum  propter  dilationem 
comitiorum  ter  praetor  primus  centuriis  cunctis  renuntiatus  sum." 

84.  Posthumian  race.  The  proper  spelling  is  Postnmian.  The  first  of 
the  gens  to  be  consul  was  P.  Postumius  Tubertus  in  503  B.C.  Albus  was 
the  name  of  the  principal  family  of  the  gens.  A.  Postumius  Albus  Regil- 
lensis  was  consul  496  B.C.  and  dictator  in  498  B.C.  when  the  battle  of  Lake 
Regillus  is  said  to  have  been  fought.  His  surname  was  probably  not 
derived  from  the  battle,  as  Livy  (xxx.  45)  expressly  states  that  Scipio 
Africanus  was  the  first  Roman  who  obtained  a  surname  from  his  con- 
quests. 

86.  Gabii.  An  ancient  city  of  I^atium  situated  about  twelve  miles  from 
Rome  on  the  road  to  Praeneste.  It  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  popu- 
lous of  the  cities  of  the  Latin  league.  It  was  captured  when  Tarquin  the 
Proud  was  king  of  Rome  by  a  stratagem  of  his  son  Sextus.  Afterwards, 


'5* 


NOTES. 


however,  it  combined  with  the  other  cities  of  Latium  in  his  behalf  against 
Rome.  Gabii  had  fallen  into  decline  in  Cicero's  time,  but  revived  during 
the  Empire.  It  lay  close  to  a  small  volcanic  lake,  now  drained,  which, 
strangely  enough,  is  not  mentioned  by  any  writer  before  the  5th  century. 

92.  A  sceptre.  This  word  originally  meant  a  staff  to  lean  upon,  not  a 
symbol  of  station  or  authority.  Sceptres  were  carried  by  kings,  princes, 
and  leaders  ;  also  by  judges,  heralds  (as  here),  priests,  and  seers. 

105.  Eyry.  The  more  proper  spelling  of  this  word  is  aery,  which  occurs 
in  Shakespeare,  K.  John,  v.  2.  149,  and  Hamlet,  ii.  2.  354.  It  is  cognate 
with  the  Greek  opvit;  and  opviivai  and  the  Latin  oriri.  "  When  fairly  im- 
ported into  English,  the  word  was  ingeniously  connected  with  ey,  an  egg, 
as  if  the  word  meant  an  eggery ;  hence  it  began  to  be  spelled  eyrie  or  eyryt 
and  to  be  misinterpreted  accordingly  "  (Skeat). 

1 19.  Conscript  Fathers.  Patres  Cotiscripli  (see  on  Horatius,  126  above)  ; 
originally  Patres  et  Conscripti,  the  latter  being  certain  noble  plebeians  of 
equestrian  rank  added  to  the  senate  when  its  numbers  had  fallen  off,  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Republic.  Some  authorities,  however,  make  Patres 
Coruerifti—  enrolled  fathers. 

123.  Choose  we  a  Dictator.  Let  us  choose  (ist  person  imperative)  a 
dictator.  The  dictator  was  an  extraordinary  magistrate  appointed  in  time 
of  peril.  As  indicated  below,  he  held  his  office  for  six  months  only,  was 
preceded  by  twenty-four  lictors  (see  on  2  above)  with  the/asfes  and  axes, 
and  had  associated  with  him  a  lieutenant,  called  the  master  of  horse 
(magister  eqnitum),  usually  appointed  by  himself,  but  sometimes  by  the 
senate.  The  dictator  was  appointed  by  a  decree  of  the  senate  on  the 
nomination  of  the  consul.  He  had  greater  power  than  the  consul  in  that 
he  had  no  colleague,  was  more  independent  of  the  senate,  had  greater 
freedom  of  punishment  without  appeal,  and  was  irresponsible.  The  first 
dictator  was  appointed  in  501  B.C.,  and  the  office  disappeared  in  202  B.C.; 
for  the  dictatorships  of  Sulla  and  Caesar  were  of  a  different  character. 
After  that  date,  however,  the  consuls  were  given  dictatorial  power  by  the 
senate  in  times  of  danger,  by  the  common  formula,  "Consul  videat  ne 
quid  res  publica  detriment)  capiat."  Cf.  Cicero,  In  Catilinam,  i.  2.  4 : 
"  Decrevit  quondam  senatus  ut  L.  Opimius  Consul  videret  ne  quid  res 
publica  detrimenti  caperet." 

125.  Camerium.  An  ancient  city  of  Latium.  It  was  taken  by  Tarquin 
during  his  reign,  but  after  his  expulsion  from  Rome  it  was  among  the 
first  to  embrace  his  cause,  and  was  destroyed  by  Virginius,  502  B.C. 

135.  sEbutitts  Elva.  Consul  497  B.C.  He  had  charge  of  the  city  when 
the  battle  of  Lake  Regillus  was  fought. 

143.  With  boys,  etc.     Cf.  Horatius,  58  fol. 

148.  The  Porcian  height.     See  on  34  above. 

156.  Marked  evermore  -with  white.    See  on  20  above,  and  cf.  780  below. 

165.  Setia.  An  ancient  city  of  Latium,  on  the  southern  slope  of  the 
Volscian  mountains,  looking  over  the  Pomptine  Marshes  (see  on  263 
below).  It  was  one  of  the  thirty  cities  of  the  Latin  League.  It  was  a 
strong  fortress  during  the  wars  of  Marius  and  Sulla.  It  was  noted  for 
its  wine,  which  in  the  days  of  Martial  and  Juvenal  seems  to  have  been 
considered  one  of  the  choicest  kinds.  According  to  Pliny  (xiv.  6-8.),  Au- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


'53 


gustus  first  brought  it  into  vogue.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  mod- 
ern town  of  Sezza  occupies  the  site  of  ancient  Setia,  as  remnants  of  its 
walls,  built  of  large  polygonal  blocks  of  limestone,  like  those  of  Norba, 
are  still  visible. 

166.  Norba.    On  the  border  of  the  Volscian  mountains  near  Setia,  and 
one  of  the  thirty  cities  of  the  Latin  league.     It  was  the  last  fortress  of 
Italy  that  held  out  against  Sulla.    His  general,  Lepidus,  utterly  destroyed 
it,  and  it  was  never  rebuilt.     The  existing  ruins  of  Norba  are  among  the 
most  perfect  specimens  remaining  in  Italy  of  the  style  of  construction 
known  as  Cyclopean. 

167.  Tuscnlum.     See  on  Horatins,  96  above. 

169.  The  Wrick's  Fortress.  The  Circaean  promontory  (Monte  Cii'cello), 
on  the  coast  of  the  Tyrrhenian  Sea,  which  was  supposed  to  have  been 
the  abode  of  the  enchantress  Circe.  It  is  a  bold  and  abrupt  mountain, 
rising  precipitously  from  the  sea  to  the  height  of  1800  feet,  and  insulated 
on  the  land  side  by  a  strip  of  the  Pomptine  Marshes. 

172.  Aricin.  An  ancient  and  famous  city  of  Latium,  on  the  Appian 
Way,  sixteen  miles  from  Rome.  It  took  a  prominent  part  in  this  Latin 
war.  The  modern  town  (Ariccia)  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  citadel, 
on  a  steep  hill  rising  above  a  basin-shaped  valley,  evidently  at  one  time 
filled  by  a  lake. 

Aricia  was  celebrated  throughout  Italy  for  its  temple  of  Diana,  situ- 
ated about  three  miles  from  the  town  on  the  edge  of  a  small  lake.  It 
was  remarkable  for  the  barbarous  custom,  retained  even  in  the  days  of 
Strabo  and  Pausanias,  of  having  as  high  priest  a  fugitive  slave,  who  had 
obtained  the  office  by  killing  his  predecessor,  for  which  reason  the  priests 
always  went  armed.  The  lake  (the  modern  L,igo  <fi  Nemi)  was  often 
called  Speculum  Diana,  and  is  still  noted  for  its  beauty.  Cf.  Byron, 
ChiUU  Harold,  iv.  172  : 

"  Lo !  Nemi,  navelled  in  the  woody  hills 
So  far  that  the  uprooting  wind  which  tears 
The  oak  from  its  foundation,  and  which  spills 
The  ocean  o'er  its  boundary  and  bears 
Its  foam  against  the  skies,  reluctant  spares 
The  oval  mirror  of  thy  glassy  lake ; 
And,  calm  as  cherished  hate,  its  surface  wears 
A  deep,  cold,  settled  aspect  nought  can  shake, 
All  coiled  into  itself  and  round,  as  sleeps  the  snake." 

177.  Ufens.  A  river  of  Latium,  rising  at  the  foot  of  the  Volscian 
mountains  and  flowing  through  the  Pontine  Marshes,  whence  it  is  de- 
scribed by  Virgil  (sEneid,  vii.  801)  as  a  sluggish,  muddy  stream. 

183.  Cora.  A  city  of  Latium  (now  Cori),  on  the  left  of  the  Appian  Way 
about  thirty-seven  miles  from  Rome.  It  stands  on  a  bold  hill  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  Volscian  mountains,  and  overlooks  the  Pontine  Marshes, 
the  "  never-ending  fen."  Its  fortifications,  apparently  built  at  different 
periods,  formed  three  successive  tiers,  the  uppermost  of  which  enclosed 
the  highest  summit  of  the  hill  and  was  the  citadel  of  the  ancient  town. 
Considerable  portions  of  these  walls,  with  other  ruins  of  much  interest, 
are  still  to  be  seen. 


NOTES. 


...m 


tAKH  OF  NEMI,  LOOKING  OVER  THE  CAMPAGNA. 


185.  The  Laurentian  jungle.  Laurentum,  on  the  sea-coast  between 
Ostia  and  Lavinium,  was  the  ancient  capital  of  Latium  and  the  abode 
of  King  Latinus  when  .Eneas  landed.  In  its  immediate  neighborhood 
were  considerable  marshes,  while  a  little  farther  inland  stood  the  exten- 
sive Laurentian  Forest.  Under  the  Roman  Empire  this  forest  abounded 
in  wild  boars,  which  were  of  large  size,  but  reckoned  of  inferior  flavor  on 
account  of  the  marshy  ground  on  which  they  fed.  The  orator  Horten- 
sius  had  a  villa  and  a  park  stocked  with  game  near  Laurentum,  and  many 
villas  lined  the  coast. 

187.  Anio.  A  celebrated  river  of  Latium,  in  ancient  times  called  the 
Anieti,  one  of  the  largest  tributaries  of  the  Tiber.  It  is  now  called  the 
Teverone.  Near  Tibur  it  forms  a  celebrated  cascade,  falling  at  once 
through  a  height  of  more  than  eighty  feet.  The  present  cascade  is  arti- 
ficial, the  waters  of  the  river  having  been  carried  through  a  tunnel  con- 
structed for  the  purpose  in  1834,  but  the  Anio  always  formed  a  striking 
fall  at  this  point.  See  Horace,  Odes,  i.  7.  13  :  "  Et  praeceps  Anio."  The 
waters  of  the  upper  Anio  were  very  clear,  for  which  reason  they  were 
carried  by  aqueducts  to  Rome. 

190.  Velitrce.  A  city  (now  Velletri)  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  Alban 
Hills,  on  the  Via  Appia,  looking  over  the  Pontine  Marshes.  Both  Livy 
and  Dionysius  represent  it  as  a  Volscian  city  when  it  first  came  into  col- 
lision with  Rome,  but  Dionysius  includes  it  among  the  thirty  cities  of 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


'55 


Latium.     After  the  Latin  war  in  338  B.C.,  the  walls  of  Velitrae  were 
destroyed,  and  the  town  became  an  ordinary  municipality.     It  was  the 
native  place  of  the  Octavian  family,  from  which  Augustus  was  descended. 
Pliny  mentions  it  as  producing  a  wine  inferior  only  to  the  Falernian. 
193.  Mainilins.     See  on  Horatins,  96  above. 

202.  By  Syria's  dark-browed  daughters.     The  finest  purple  robes  came 
from  Tyre  in  Phoenicia,  on  the  coast  of  Syria. 

203.  Carthage.    Situated  on  the  northern  coast  of  Africa  near  the  mod- 
ern Tunis.     It  was  a  Phoenician  colony,  founded,  according  to  the  pop- 
ular chronology,  814  B.C.,  and  destroyed  after  three  wars  with  Rome 
in  146  B.C.     It  was  rebuilt  by  Augustus  and  became  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  cities  of  the  ancient  world.     In  the  fifth  century  it  was  taken 
by  the  Vandals  under  Genseric,  and  became  the  capital  of  their  kingdom 
in  Africa.    It  was  retaken  by  Belisarius,  but  was  captured  and  destroyed 
by  the  Arabs  in  647. 

At  the  period  of  the  poem  Carthage  was  already  a  flourishing  and 
wealthy  commercial  city,  and  the  depot  of  supplies  for  the  western  Medi- 
terranean of  the  products  of  the  East.  See  on  The  Prophecy  of  Capys, 
280  below. 

205.  Lavininm.  A  city  about  three  miles  from  the  sea-coast,  between 
Laurentum  and  Arclea,  and  seventeen  miles  from  Rome.  It  was  founded, 
according  to  the  legend,  by  /Eneas,  shortly  after  his  landing  in  Italy,  and 
named  by  him  after  his  wife  Lavinia,  daughter  of  King  Latinus.  When 
Ascanius  removed  the  seat  of  the  government  to  Alba,  the  attempt  to 
remove  the  Penates  was  unsuccessful  ;  hence  Lavinium  was  always  re- 
garded as  a  sacred  metropolis.  Macrobius  tells  us  that  in  his  time  it  was 
customary  for  the  consuls  and  praetors,  at  the  beginning  of  their  term  of 
office,  to  offer  sacrifice  there  to  Vesta  and  the  Penates.  While  the  legend 
of /Eneas  has  no  historical  basis,  it  seems  certain  for  many  reasons,  among 
them  the  name,  that  Lavinium  was  originally  the  capital  of  Latium.  The 
insignificant  village  of  Practica  now  occupies  the  site. 

209.  False  Sextits,  etc.     See  on  Horatins,  199  above. 

233.  Tibur.  The  modern  Trvoli,  a  town  twenty  miles  northeast  of  Rome 
on  the  Anio.  It  was  celebrated  for  its  orchards  and  for  its  grapes  and  figs. 
Its  air  was  healthy  and  bracing,  and  this,  together  with  its  beautiful  sce- 
nery, made  it  a  favorite  resort  of  the  wealthy  Romans.  It  was  much  older 
than  Rome,  and  probably  of  Greek  origin.  Here  Syphax,  king  of  Nu- 
midia,  died  201  B.C.,  and  here  Zenobia  lived  as  a  captive.  Tibur  was 
famed  for  its  worship  of  Hercules,  whose  temple  was  the  most  remarkable 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Rome,  except  that  of  Fortune  at  Praeneste.  Both 
Horace  and  Sallust  had  residences  at  Tibur. 

Pedinn.  A  city  of  the  Latin  League,  at  one  time  of  considerable  im- 
portance. It  disappears  from  history  after  the  close  of  the  Latin  War  in 
338  B.C. 

235.  Ferentinnm.     A  city  of  Etruria  about  five  miles  from  the  Tiber 
on  the  north  of  the  Ciminian  range. 

236.  Gabii.     See  on  86  above. 

237.  Volscian  succors.     The  Volscians   (see  on  Iforafiits,  561   above) 
were  usually  opposed  to  the  Latins,  and  in  alliance  with  the  vEquians. 


156  NOTES. 

Tarquinius  Superbus  is  said  to  have  built  the  Capitol  at  Rome  from 
spoils  taken  from  the  Volscians,  a  tradition  which  proves  the  belief  in 
their  great  wealth  and  power  at  this  early  period. 

241.  Mount  Soracte.  A  mountain  of  Etruria  (now  called  Monte  di  San 
Oreste),  situated  between  Falerii  and  the  Tiber,  about  twenty-six  miles 
north  of  Rome.  Although  only  2260  feet  in  height,  it  rises  in  an  abrupt 
mass  above  the  plain,  and  is  a  conspicuous  object  in  all  views  of  the  Cam- 
pagna.  See  Horace,  Odes,  i.  9.  i :  "  Vides  ut  alta  stet  nive  candidum  So- 
racte ;"  and  Virgil,  ,/Eneid,  xi.  785  :  "  Summe  deum,  sancti  custos  Sorac- 
tis  Apollo." 

250.  Apulian.    Apulia  was  a  district  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Italy, 
between  the  Apennines  and  the  sea.     A  great  part  of  northern  Apulia 
consisted  of  a  fertile  plain,  especially  adapted  to  the  rearing  of  horses 
and  cattle. 

251.  Titus,  the  youngest  Tarquin.    Titus  was  the  eldest  son  of  Tarquin. 
The  youngest  son  was  Aruns.     See  on  fforatius,  323  above. 

256.  Targe.  A  poetical  word  for  a  small  round  shield.  Target  is  a 
diminutive  of  it. 

263.  Pomptine  fog.  The  Pomptine  (Pontine)  Marshes  (Pomptinae  PA- 
Ittdes)  were  an  extensive  tract  of  marshy  ground  in  the  south  of  Latium 
at  the  foot  of  the  Volscian  mountains.  They  occupy  a  space  of  thirty 
miles  in  length  by  seven  or  eight  in  breadth,  and  are  separated  from  the 
sea  on  the  west  by  a  broad  tract  of  sandy  plain  covered  with  forest,  which 
is  perfectly  level  and  intermixed  with  marshy  spots  and  pools  of  stagnant 


,— 


THE   PONTINE   MAKSHES. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


'57 


water,  so  that  it  is  almost  as  unhealthy  as  the  Marshes  proper,  and  is 
often  included  under  the  same  name.  The  entire  tract  is  of  very  recent 
origin  as  compared  with  the  rest  of  the  mainland.  The  Romans  believed 
that  the  whole  of  this  accumulation  had  taken  place  within  the  historical 
period,  and  that  Mons  Circeius  (see  on  169  above)  was  in  the  Homeric 
times  the  Island  of  Circe  in  the  midst  of  the  open  sea. 

The  Pomptine  Marshes  are  formed  principally  by  the  stagnation  of 
the  waters  of  two  streams,  the  Amasenus  and  the  Ufens  (see  on  177 
above),  and  appear  to  have  derived  their  name  from  the  city  of  Snessa 
Pomeliii,  the  capital  of  the  Volscians,  situated  on  their  border.  Various 
attempts  were  made  to  drain  these  marshes,  and  a  project  of  this  kind 
was  among  the  great  public  works  planned  by  Julius  Caesar.  The  Ap- 
pian  Way  was  carried  through  them  as  early  as  312  B.C. 

267-272.  The  braying  of  the  -war -horns,  etc.  Note  the  alliteration 
and  onomatopoeia  in  these  lines. 

275.  Corselet.  A  piece  of  body  armor.  The  word  (also  spelled  corslet) 
is  derived  from  the  old  French  cars,  a  body,  -\-el-\-et,  diminutive  termi- 
nations. 

278.  Digentian  rock.  The  Digentia  (now  the  Licenza)  was  a  small 
river  in  the  country  of  the  Sabines,  flowing  into  the  Anio  nine  miles  above 
Tibur.  Cf.  Horace,  Epistles,  i.  18.  104:  "gelidus  Digentia  rivus."  Just 
above  its  junction  with  the  Anio  stands  a  rocky,  projecting  hill,  which  is 
probably  the  rock  here  referred  to. 

280.  Bandnsia's  flock.    As  indicated  here,  the  Fount  of  Bandusia,  cele- 
brated by  Horace  in  a  beautiful  ode  (iii.  13),  has  been  supposed  to  be 
situated  near  his  Sabine  villa,  and  to  be  the  fount  alluded  to  in  Epistles, 
I.  16.  12  fol. ;  but  it  seems  to  have  been  conclusively  proved  that  the 
real  fans  Bandnsiae  was  in  Apulia,  a  few  miles  from  Venusia,  the  birth- 
place of  Horace. 

281.  Herminins.     See  on  Horatins,  245  above. 

283.  Auster  (the  South  Wind,  or  the  hot,  burning  wind,  as  the  deriva- 
tion implies)  is  an  appropriate  name  for  a  swift  and  fiery  steed. 

288.  Fidentz.  A  city  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Tiber,  on  the  Via  Salaria, 
five  miles  from  Rome.  It  was  originally  and  properly  a  Latin  city, 
although  Livy  alludes  to  it  as  Etruscan,  and  even  says  that  its  inhab- 
itants learned  Latin  only  from  their  intercourse  with  the  Roman  colo- 
nists. It  early  engaged  in  wars  with  Rome,  and  was  captured  by  Tar- 
quinius  Priscus.  It  was  finally  subdued  by  the  Romans,  and  vanishes 
from  history  as  an  independent  city  in  426  B.C. 

294.  Calabrian  brake.  Calabria  was  the  name  given  by  the  Romans 
to  the  peninsula  forming  the  heel  of  Italy,  which  was  called  by  the  Greeks 
Messapia  and  Lipygia.  During  the  time  of  the  Byzantine  emperors,  the 
name  of  Calabria  was  transferred  to  the  Bruttian  peninsula  (of  which  it 
is  to-day  the  designation),  probably  because  the  term  at  first  denoted 
all  the  Byzantine  possessions  in  southern  Italy,  which  gradually  con- 
tracted to  the  Bruttian  peninsula  and  a  very  small  tract  in  the  lapygian 
promontory. 

Brake  =  bush,  thicket.  "  The  idea  is  of  rough  broktti  ground  with  the 
growth  which  springs  from  it." 


158  NOTES. 

295.  When  through  the  reeds,  etc.  Cf.  Virgil,  JEneid,  ii.  379  fol.  (imi- 
tated from  Homer,  Iliad,  iii.  33) : 

"  Improvisum  aspris  veluti  qui  sentibus  anguem 
Pressit  huml  nitens,  trepidusque  repente  refugit 
Attollentem  iras  et  caerula  colla  tumentem  ; 
Haud  secus  Androgeos  visu  treraefactus  abibat." 

303.  Tiibero.     A  common  Latin  name. 

308.  Among  his  elms.  On  which  trees  the  grape-vine  was  trained. 
See  Virgil,  Eel.  ii.  70 :  "  Semiputata  tibi  frondosa  vitis  in  ulmo  est ;" 
Catullus,  62.  54:  "(Vitis)  coniuncta  ulmo  marito ;"  and  Juvenal,  6.  150: 
"  ulmi  Falernae"  (Falernian  elms  for  Falernian  wine). 

325.  Clients.     Supposed  to  be  from  the  same  root  as  cli/ere,  to  hear  or 
obey.     Any  foreigner  or  Roman  citizen  who  wanted  a  protector  might 
attach  himself  to  a  patronus  and  so  become  a  clieiis.    The  patron  guarded 
the  client's  interest,  both  public  and  private ;  the  client  assisted  his  patron 
with  money  and  with  military  service.     The  connection  was  hereditary, 
and  the  client  bore  his  patron's  gentile  (family)  name. 

326.  Bare.     An  old  form  of  bore. 

327.  Helm.     Poetical  for  helmet.     Cf.  Scott,  Munition,  vi.  30  : 

"  When  with  the  baron's  casque  the  maid 

To  the  nigh  streamlet  ran: 
»**  *  «  *  . 

She  filled  the  helm,  and  back  she  hied,"  etc. 

348.  And  hath  bestrode  his  sire.  That  is,  stood  over  him  to  defend  him. 
Cf.  Coriolanus,  ii.  2.  96 : 

"  He  bestrid 

An  o'er-press'd  Roman,  and  i'  the  consul's  view 
Slew  three  opposers." 

353.  Caso.     Or  K<zso,  a  praenomen  of  the  Fabia  gens. 

356.  The  brave  Fabian  race.  The  Fabian  race  was  one  of  the  most 
ancient  patrician  families  at  Rome,  tracing  its  origin  to  Hercules  and 
Evander.  There  were  many  distinguished  members  of  this  family ; 
whence  Anchises  in  his  enumeration  of  the  heroes  of  Rome  (Virgil, 
xEneid,  vi.  845)  says:  "Quo  fessum  rapitis,  Fabii  ?" — "alluding  to  the 
numbers  and  exploits  of  the  Fabii,  which  tire  the  narrator  who  tries  to 
count  them"  (Conington,  ad  loc.).  The  family  was  celebrated  in  early 
Roman  history.  Being  looked  on  with  disfavor  by  their  own  order,  they 
offered  to  carry  on  the  war  against  Veii  at  their  own  cost  and  alone. 
When  the  offer  was  joyfully  accepted,  306  Fabii  marched  forth  under 
the  lead  of  Kaeso  Fabius  to  the  banks  of  the  Cremera,  where  they  erected 
a  fortress.  After  carrying  on  the  war  successfully  for  a  time,  they  were 
enticed  into  an  ambuscade,  and  the  whole  race  perished  except  one  boy, 
who  had  been  left  at  Rome  on  account  of  his  youth.  The  story  is  full  of 
improbabilities  and  doubtless  mythical. 

Another  distinguished  member  of  the  family  was  Quintus  Fabius  Max- 
imus  Cunctator,  the  opponent  of  Hannibal,  of  whom  Ennius  wrote: 
"  Unus  homo  nobis  cunctando  restituit  rem;"  a  line  which  Virgil  gives 
almost  verbally  in  AZneid,  vi.  846. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS. 


'59 


357.  Rtx.    The  name  ot  several  distinguished  Romans,  the  earliest  of 
whom  was  tribune  196  B.C. 

358.  J^he  priest  of  Juno's  shrine.     Juno  was  the  tutelary  divinity  of 
Gabii.     See  Virgil,  SEneid,  vii.  682  :  "  quique  arva  Gabinae  lunonis  .  .  . 
colunt." 

360.  Rome's  great  Julian  line.  The  Julian  gens  was  one  of  the  most 
ancient  patrician  families  at  Rome,  some  of  its  members  having  attained 
the  highest  dignities  of  the  state  in  the  earliest  times  of  the  republic.  It 
was  doubtless  of  Alban  origin,  and  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  Alban  fami- 
lies transferred  to  Rome  by  Tullus  Hostilius  and  enrolled  among  the 
fatrcs.  Virgil  (sEneiJ,  i.  267)  asserts  that  lulus,  the  mythical  ancestor 
of  the  race,  was  the  same  as  Ascanius,  and  Caesar  claimed  the  same  origin 
for  his  family  by  giving  "  Venus  genetrix"  as  the  word  to  his  soldiers  at 
Pharsalia  and  Munda. 

362.  The  Velian  hill.  One  of  the  seven  hills  of  Rome,  between  the 
Palatine,  the  Esquiline,  and  the  eastern  side  of  the  Forum. 

375,  376.  The  good  house  That  loves  the  people  well.  The  surname  of 
Valerius  was  Pnblicola,  or  the  people's  friend,  from  the  following  cir- 
cumstance :  Becoming  sole  consul  by  the  death  of  his  colleague  Brutus, 
he  began  to  build  a  house  on  the  Velian  hill  on  the  site  of  the  palace  of 
Tarquinius  Superbus.  Being  accused  of  aiming  at  regal  power,  he  tore 
the  house  down.  The  Valerian  gens  enjoyed  extraordinary  honors  and 
privileges  at  Rome.  Their  house  on  the  Velia  was  the  only  one  in  Rome 
of  which  the  doors  were  allowed  to  open  outward  into  the  street.  In 
the  circus  a  conspicuous  place  was  set  apart  for  them,  where  a  small 
throne  was  erected,  an  unexampled  honor.  They  were  also  allowed  to 
bury  their  dead  within  the  city  walls. 

383.  Yeomen.  Here  apparently  =  common  soldiers  (as  in  Shakespeare, 
Rich.  ///.  v.  3.  338  :  "  Fight,  gentlemen  of  England !  Fight  good  yeo- 
men ");  or  perhaps  men  of  his  body-guard,  like  the  "yeomen  of  the 
guard"  in  the  service  of  the  English  sovereign. 

399.  Play  the  men.  Show  yourselves  men.  Cf.  Shakespeare,  Tem- 
pest, i.  I.  ii :  "  Play  the  men." 

403.  Like  the  roar  of  a  burning  forest,  etc.  Cf.  Virgil,  ALneid,  ii.  304 
fol. : 

"  In  segetem  veluti  cum  flamma  furentibus  austris 
Incidit,  aut  rapidus  montano  flumine  torrens 
Sternit  agros,  stern  it  sata  laeta  boumque  labnres, 
Praecipitisque  trahit  silvas,  stupet  inscius  alti 
Accipiens  sonitum  saxi  de  vertice  pastor." 

408.  Wist.  Knew ;  past  tense  of  the  old  verb,  wit  (A.  S.  wilati).  Cf. 
Exihi.  ii.  4  and  Mark  ix.  6. 

416.  A  Consular  of  Rome.  That  is,  a  vir  consularis,  one  who  has  been 
consul,  a  man  of  consular  rank. 

419.  Costns.  The  name  of  a  patrician  family  of  the  Cornelian  race, 
which  produced  many  illustrious  men  in  the  fifth  century  B.C.,  but  after- 
wards sank  into  oblivion. 

439.  Ride  as  the  waives,  etc.  As  //  the  wolves,  etc.  This  use  of  as  is 
common  in  Elizabethan  English.  Cf.  Macbeth,  i.  4.  ii  : 


!6o  NOTES. 

"  To  throw  away  the  dearest  thing  he  owed, 
As  'twere  a  careless  trifle,"  etc. 

441.  Our  southward  battle.  That  is,  the  portion  of  our  army  in  that 
direction.  Cf.  Macbeth,  v.  6.  4 : 

"  You,  worthy  uncle, 

Shall,  with  my  cousin,  your  right-noble  son, 
Lead  our  first  battle  ;" 

that  is,  the  van  of  our  forces.     Cf.  463  and  641  below. 

480.  Anfidus.  The  principal  river  of  Apulia,  and  one  of  the  largest 
in  Italy,  flowing  into  the  Adriatic.  Horace,  whose  birthplace,  Venusia, 
was  only  ten  miles  from  the  Aufidus — whence  he  calls  himself  "louge 
sonantem  natus  ad  Aufidum"  (Odes,  iv.  9.  2) — alludes  repeatedly  to  the 
violent  and  impetuous  character  of  the  river,  when  swollen  by  winter 
floods  or  by  heavy  rains.  In  the  summer,  however,  it  is  an  insignificant 
stream. 

Po.  The  principal  river  of  northern  Italy,  and  by  far  the  largest  in  the 
peninsula.  Hence  from  Attfidus  to  Po  —  from  one  end  of  Italy  to  the 
other.  The  Padus,  or  Po,  was  identified  by  the  Greeks  with  the  mythical 
Eridanus,  and  it  was  commonly  called  by  that  name  both  by  them  and 
by  the  Roman  poets. 

495.  Lay  on.  Deal  blows,  strike.  Cf.  Macbeth,  v.  8.  33 :  "  Lay  on, 
Macduff;"  and  Henry  F.  v.  2.  147  :  "I  could  lay  on  like  a  butcher,"  etc. 

547.  Herminia.  While  the  Roman  man  usually  had  three  names,  the 
prcenomen,  the  nomen  proper  or  nomen  gentilicinm,  and  a  cognomen,  the 
Roman  women  were  designated  only  by  the  feminine  form  of  the  nomen 
gentilicium,  having  no  pr&notnen  other  than  Prima,  Secunda,  Tertia,  etc. 

549.  Ribbons.  The  spelling  ribands  or  ribbands  (in  the  English  eds.) 
arose  from  a  fancied  connection  with  band ;  but  the  d  is  "excrescent," 
as  in  hind  (see  on  Horatins,  337  above),  and  is  not  always  found  in  Mid- 
dle English.  The  word  is  of  Celtic  origin,  from  ribe,  a  flake,  hair.  The 
an  is  the  common  Celtic  diminutive  termination. 

557-  The  furies  of  thy  brother.  The  Enmenides  or  Erinnyes,  who,  as  the 
Greeks  believed,  pursued  and  tormented  criminals,  especially  murderers. 
Cf.  Virgil,  sEneid,  iii.  331:  "  scelerum  Furiis  agitatus;"  referring  to 
Orestes,  who  had  slain  his  mother  Clytemnestra. 

568.  Caf  nan's  hall.    Capua  was  the  capital  of  Campania  (see  on  Horn- 
tins,  337  above)  and  one  of  the  most  celebrated  and  important  cities  of 
Italy.    The  name,  like  Campania,  is  probably  derived  from  campus,  from 
its  situation  in  a  fertile  plain.    Capua  was  proverbial  for  luxury  and  mag- 
nificence ;  the  effect  on  Hannibal's  troops  of  their  winter  there  is  much 
dwelt  on  by  Roman  writers.     Cf.  Virginia,  267,  328. 

569,  570.    The  knees  of  all  the  Latines  Were  loosened  with  dismay.     An 
Homeric  expression.     See  Iliad,  v.  176  :  iirti  iro\\<av  TI  KOI  iaQ\iav  yov- 
var'  tXvfiv. 

603.  Samothracia.  An  island  in  the  north  of  the  /Egaean  Sea,  opposite 
the  mouth  of  the  Hebrus.  Homer  calls  it  sometimes  2a/iog  Spi\iKii]  and 
sometimes  simply  Zd^tof.  Hence  the  line  in  Virgil,  sEtieU,  vii.  208 : 
"  Threiciamque  Samum,  qua?  nunc  Samothracia  fertur."  It  measures 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.         X6i 

eight  miles  by  six,  and  is  of  great  elevation,  being  the  most  conspicuous 
object  in  the  north  of  the  ^Egasan  except  Mt.  Athos,  and  surpassing  all 
the  islands  but  Crete  in  height.  The  common  name  of  the  Thracian 
and  Ionian  Samos  was  a  cause  of  speculation  to  Pausanias  and  Strabo. 
The  truth  seems  to  be  that  aafioq  denoted  any  elevated  land  near  the  sea, 
and  that  the  name  was  therefore  given  to  several  islands.  The  chief  in- 
terest of  the  island  is  connected  with  the  mysterious  rites  of  the  Cabeiri 
celebrated  there,  into  which  Philip  of  Macedon  was  initiated  with  Olym- 
pias,  his  wife.  Very  little  is  known  about  the  Cabeiri,  but  by  some  writ- 
ers they  are  identified  with  the  Dioscuri,  which  is  the  occasion  of  the 
reference  here  to  Samothracia. 

604.  Cyrene.     The  chief  city  of  the  district  of  Cyrenaica  on  the  north 
coast  of  Africa  between  Carthage  and  Egypt,  and  the  most  important 
Hellenic  colony  in  Africa.     At  the  height  of  its  power  Cyrene  had  an 
extensive  commerce  with  Greece  and  Egypt,  especially  in  silphium,  a 
plant  with  a  very  strong  flavor,  the  juice  of  which  was  used  in  food  and 
medicine.     Cyrene  holds  a  distinguished  place  in  the  history  of  Greek 
intellect.     It  was  the  birthplace  of  the  poet  Callimachus,  and  as  early  as 
the  time  of  Herodotus  was  celebrated  for  its  physicians.     As  it  was  an 
Hellenic  colony  the  worship  of  the  Dioscuri  would  be  observed  there,  as 
well  as  at  Tarentum  and  Syracuse. 

605.  Our  house  in  g>iy  Tarentum.    House  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of 
temple. 

Tarentum  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  and  celebrated  cities  of  south- 
ern Italy,  situated  in  Calabria  on  the  north  shore  of  the  extensive  Gulf 
of  Tarentum  (Golfo  di  Taranto).  It  was  a  Greek  city,  a  colony  of  Lace- 
daemon,  and  retained,  Polybius  tells  us,  many  traces  of  its  Spartan  origin 
in  local  names  and  customs.  Hence  the  worship  of  the  Dioscuri  proba- 
bly flourished  there.  Although  its  territory  was  not  especially  fertile,  it 
was  admirably  suited  for  the  growth  of  olives,  and  its  pastures  produced 
wool  of  the  finest  quality,  while  its  harbor  abounded  in  all  sorts  of  shell- 
fish, among  them  the  murex,  which  furnished  the  celebrated  purple  dye. 
Tarentum,  however,  owed  its  rapid  rise  to  the  excellence  of  its  port, 
through  which  it  became  the  chief  emporium  of  the  commerce  of  south- 
ern Italy.  No  traces  of  the  ancient  city  remain. 

The  advantages  of  Tarentum  are  extolled  by  Horace  in  a  well-known 
ode  (ii.  6) : 

"  Unde  si  Parcae  prohibent  iniquae, 
Dulce  pellitis  ovibus  Galaesi 
Flumen  et  regnata  petam  Laconi 

Rura  Phalantho. 

Ille  terrarum  mihi  praeter  omnes 
Angulus  ridet,  ubi  non  Hymetto 
Mella  decedunt  viridique  certat 

Baca  Venafro  : 

Ver  nbi  longum  tepidasque  praebet 
Tuppiter  briimas,  et  amicns  Aulon 
Fertili  Baccho  minimum  Falernis 
Invidet  uvis." 

607.  Masts  of  Syracuse.     Syracuse  was  the  most  important  and  power- 
ful of  all  the  Greek  cities  in  Sicily.     It  had  an  excellent  port  called  the 
ii 


162 


NOTES. 


Great  Harbor,  a  bay  five  miles  in  circumference ;  and  also  the  Lesser 
Port  between  the  island  of  Ortygia  and  the  mainland.  It  was  a  Corinthian 
colony  and  became  very  powerful.  It  is  known  in  history  especially  on 
account  of  the  great  siege  by  the  Athenians  in  414  B.C.  during  the  Pelo- 
ponnesian  war,  and  its  capture  by  Marcellus  in  212  B.C.  For  a  descrip- 
tion of  its  topography  see  Cicero  in  Verrem,  iv.  52,  53. 

609.  The  proud  Eurotas.  The  principal  river  of  Laconia,  flowing 
through  the  whole  length  of  the  valley  between  the  ranges  of  Taygetus 
and  Parnon.  Its  more  ancient  names  were  Bomycas  and  Himerus.  The 
scenery  in  the  upper  part  of  its  course  is  beautiful ;  in  the  lower  part, 
after  passing  through  a  gorge  twelve  miles  in  length,  it  flows  amid 
marshes  and  sandbanks  into  the  Laconian  Gulf. 

The  Dioscuri,  who  were  believed  to  have  reigned  as  kings  of  Sparta, 
received  divine  honors  in  that  city ;  thence  their  worship  spread  over 
Greece,  Sicily,  and  Italy. 

614.  And  each  couched  low  his  spear.  That  is,  levelled  the  spear,  or 
held  it  in  the  proper  position.  Cf.  Shakespeare,  I  Hen.  VI.  iii.  I.  179: 
"  A  braver  soldier  never  couched  lance." 

619.  Ardea.  A  city  still  bearing  the  same  name,  about  four  miles  from 
the  sea-coast  and  twenty-four  south  of  Rome.  Its  foundation  was  as- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  LAKE  REGILLUS.          163 

signed  by  some  to  the  son  of  Odysseus  and  Circe,  by  others  to  Danae, 
the  mother  of  Perseus.  It  was  the  capital  of  the  Rutuli,  with  whom 
yEneas  fought.  In  the  historical  period  Ardea  had  become  a  purely 
Latin  city,  and  was  one  of  the  thirty  which  formed  the  Latin  League.  It 
was  besieged  by  Tarquin  the  Proud,  and  it  was  during  this  long  siege 
that  the  events  which  led  to  the  expulsion  of  the  kings  took  place.  In 
the  legendary  history  of  Camillus  Ardea  plays  an  important  part,  but 
soon  after  vanishes  from  history  as  an  independent  city.  See  Virgil, 
sEneiJ,  vii.  411 : 

"  Locus  Ardea  quondam 
Dictus  avis ;  et  nunc  magnum  tenet  Ardea  nomen."1 

The  city  was  desolate  in  the  time  of  Virgil. 
620.  Cora.     See  on  183  above. 

623.  The  hearth  of  Vesta.     See  on  Horatitis,  229  above. 

624.  The  Golden  Shield.     See  on  Horn  fins,  8 1  above.     The  reference 
here  is  to  the  original  ancile. 

641.  Battle.     See  on  441  above. 

646.  The  Celtic  plain.     The  Gallic  plain. 

648.  The  Adrian  main.     See  on  27  above. 

649.  Our  sire  Quirinns.     Qitirinus  is  said  by  Dionysius  of  Halicar- 
nassus  to  be  a  Sabine  word  derived  from  quirts,  a  spear  or  lance.    It  was 
the  name  given  to  Romulus  after  he  had  been  deified,  and  the  festival 
celebrated  in  his  honor  was  called  the  Qiiirinalia.     See  Virgil,  sEneiit, 
i.  292  :  "  Remo  cum  fratre  Quirinus." 

656.  The  whirling  Po.  Professor  Wilson,  in  BInchvood  (see  on  Hora- 
tius,  482  above),  after  quoting  lines  577-656,  remarks  :  "That  is  the  way 
of  doing  business.  A  cut-and-thrust  style,  without  any  flourish — Scott's 
style,  when  his  soul  was  up,  and  the  first  words  came  like  a  vanguard 
impatient  for  battle." 

660.  Lamtvium.    An  important  city  of  Latium,  on  a  lofty  height,  form- 
ing a  projecting  spur  or  promontory  of  the  Alban  Hills  towards  the  south. 
It  was  twenty  miles  from  Rome  on  the  right  of  the  Appian  Way,  a  little 
more  than  a  mile  from  the  road.     The  name  is  often  written  in  inscrip- 
tions Laniviinii,  and  hence  was  confounded  in  MSS.  with  Laviniunt.     It 
was  one  of  the  cities  of  the  Latin  League.     There  was  a  celebrated  tem- 
ple of  Juno  Sospitaat  Lanuvium.    Her  peculiar  garb  and  attributes  are  de- 
scribed by  Cicero  (De  Nat.  Dear.  i.  29)  and  appear  on  many  Roman  coins. 
She  was  represented  with  a  goat's  skin  drawn  over  her  head  like  a  hel- 
met, a  small  shield  in  her  left  hand,  and  peculiar  shoes  with  points  turned 
up  (calceoli  repandi).     She  was  associated  on  coins  with  a  serpent,  and 
Propertius  (iv.  8)  tells  us  that  she  had  a  kind  of  oracie  in  a  sacred  grove 
where  a  serpent  was  fed  with  fruits  and  cakes  by  virgins.     Pliny  (xxxv. 
3-6)  says  that  the  place  was  adorned  with  very  ancient  but  excellent 
paintings  of  Helen  and  Atalanta,  which  the  emperor  Caligula  in  vain 
attempted  to  remove. 

661.  Nomenttim.     A  city  on  the  Sabine  frontier  about  four  miles  from 
the  Tiber  and  fourteen  from  Rome.     It  was  really  a  Latin  town,  though 
often  considered  Sabine.     Virgil  mentions  it  among  the  colonies  of  Alba 
(^Eiifitf,  vi.  773),  and  its  name  occurs  among  the  cities  of  the  Prisci  La- 


164 


NOTES. 


GATE   OF  ARPJNUM. 


tint  reduced  by  Tarquinius  Priscus.  It  was  undoubtedly  a  city  of  the 
League.  It  became  a  country  resort  for  people  of  quiet  tastes.  Seneca 
had  a  villa  there,  as  well  as  Nepos  and  Martial.  The  latter  contrasts  its 
quiet  with  the  splendor  and  luxury  of  Baiae. 

673.  Arpinum.  A  celebrated  city  of  the  Volscians,  situated  on  a  hill 
rising  above  the  valley  of  the 
Liris.  It  was  the  birthplace 
of  Marius  and  Cicero ;  the 
former  was  of  ignoble  birth, 
but  the  family  of  Cicero  was 
one  of  the  most  ancient  and 
important  at  Arpinum,  and 
his  father  was  of  the  eques- 
trian order.  Cicero  applies 
to  Arpinum  the  well-known 
lines  of  the  Odyssey  (ix.  27)  on 
Ithaca  :  rpt]\il\  d\\'  a-yaOrj 
KovporpoQot;,  etc.  The  an- 
cient walls  of  Arpinum,  built 
in  the  Cyclopean  style,  are 
very  striking.  There  is  also  a  gate  of  singular  construction,  which  is 
compared  with  those  of  Tiryns  and  Mycena;. 

675.  Metius.     Or  Mettius ;  an  old  Italian  name,  in  use  among  the  Lat- 
ins and  Sabines. 

676.  Anxur.     The  Volscian  name  of  the  city  known  to  the  Romans 
and  Latins  as  Tarracina  (now  Terracina).     It  was  on  the  Tyrrhenian 
Sea,  about  ten  miles  from  Circeii  and  at  the  extremity  of  the  Pomptine 
Marshes.     The  name  Anxur  is  often  used  for  metrical  reasons  by  the 
Roman  poets.    See  Horace,  Satires,  i.  5.  26:  "Impositum  saxis  late  can- 
dentibus  Anxur  ;"  but  all  prose  writers  call  it  Tarracina.    It  was  one  of 
the  customary  halting-places  on  the  Appian  Way,  and  hence  is  men- 
tioned by  Horace  on  his  journey  to  Brundisium,  in  the  passage  quoted 
above.     The  emperor  Domitian  had  a  villa  there,  and  Galba  was  born 
near  by.     There  were  mineral  springs  in  the  neighborhood,  which  seem 
to  have  been  much  frequented.    There  was  a  celebrated  temple  here  to 
Jupiter  Anxurus,  who  was  represented  as  a  beautiful  youth. 

677.  Vulso.    The  name  of  a  distinguished  patrician  family  of  the  Man- 
ila fens. 

678.  Arician.     See  on  172  above. 

695.  The  Twelve.    The  Salii.     See  on  Horatius.  81  above. 

697.  The  High  Pontiff .  The  Pontifex  Maximus.  Various  explanations 
of  the  derivation  of  the  word  pontifex  are  given.  It  is  probably  derived 
from  pans  and  facere,  but  the  original  meaning  is  obscure.  Some  believe 
that  it  means  the  priests  who  offer  sacrifice  on  the  bridge,  referring  to  that 
of  the  Argei  on  the  sacred  Sublician  Bridge  (see  on  Horatius,  151  above). 
The  Argei  were  certain  figures  thrown  into  the  Tiber  annually  from  this 
bridge  on  the  ides  of  May.  The  images  were  twenty-three  in  number, 
made  of  bulrushes,  and  in  the  form  of  men.  They  took  the  place  of  the 
earlier  human  sacrifices.  The  pontifex  maximus  was  the  chief  of  the 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  LAKE   REGILLUS. 


165 


TEKRACINA. 

Roman  college  of  pontiffs,  the  most  illustrious  of  the  great  colleges  of 
priests.  The  institution  of  the  pontiffs  was  ascribed  to  Numa,  and  they 
were  originally  five  in  number,  including  thepontifex  maximus.  In  300 B.C. 
the  number  was  raised  to  nine,  and  later  to  fifteen  by  Sulla  and  to  sixteen 
by  Julius  Caesar.  The  college  of  pontiffs  had  the  superintendence  of  all 
matters  of  religion,  private  as  well  as  public.  They  determined  in  what 
manner  the  gods  should  be  worshipped,  the  proper  form  of  burial,  how 
the  manes,  or  spirits  of  the  dead,  were  to  be  propitiated,  and  what  signs 
were  to  be  attended  to.  The  chief  pontiff  was  obliged  to  live  in  a  downs 
fublica.  He  was  chosen  from  among  the  most  distinguished  men  in  the 
state,  such  as  had  held  a  curule  office  or  were  already  members  of  the 
college.  He  appointed  the  Vestal  virgins  and  the  flamens.  Originally 
he  was  not  allowed  to  leave  the  city,  but  in  later  times  this  rule  was  not 
observed;  Caesar  while  conquering  Gaul  was  pontifex  maximus.  In 
later  times  the  luxurious  living  of  the  pontiffs  became  proverbial.  See 
Horace,  Odes,  ii.  14.  26: 

"  mero 

Tinget  pavimentum  superbo 
Pontincum  potiore  cenis. " 

699.  ///  all  Elmi-iii1*  colleges.  The  Etruscans  were  the  instructors  of 
the  Romans  in  many  of  their  religious  rites,  and  the  Romans  adopted 
from  them  a  great  part  of  what  was  in  later  ages  considered  the  cstab- 


!66  NOTES. 

lished  national  religion.  The  Etruscan  religion  was  especially  noted  for 
its  attention  to  divination. 

705.   Young  lads,  etc.     Cf.  Horatius,  58  fol. 

716.  Pricking.  Spurring,  riding.  Cf.  Spenser,  F.  Q.  i.  I.  I :  "A  gen- 
tle knight  was  pricking  o'er  the  plain." 

721.  The  great  Asylum.  In  order  to  increase  the  population  of  Rome, 
Romulus  is  said  to  have  opened  an  asylum  on  the  Capitoline  hill.  It 
was  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  inhabitants  of  other  states,  rather  than  for 
those  who  had  violated  the  laws  of  the  city.  See  also  on  Caf>ys,  266. 

745.  To  Vesta.    See  on  7  above. 

747.  The  well,  etc.  The  Pool  or  Lake  of  Jtiturna  between  the  tem- 
ples of  Vesta  and  of  Castor.  The  remains  of  a  low  round  construction 
still  to  be  seen  at  this  point  have  been  supposed  to  belong  to  the  stone 
rim  encircling  the  pool  in  later  times,  but  this  is  very  doubtful. 

760.  The  Dorians.  Here  the  inhabitants  of  Lacedaemon.  The  Dori- 
ans originally  dwelt  in  Doris,  a  small  mountainous  district  in  Central 
Greece,  between  ^Etolia  and  Phocis.  But  in  the  historical  period  the 
whole  of  the  eastern  and  southern  parts  of  the  Peloponnesus  was  in  their 
possession.  Their  conquest  of  this  region  was  called  the  Rettirn  of  the 
Heraclidtz,  and  occurred  in  prehistoric  times. 

767,  768.  If  once  the  Great  Twin  Brethren  Sit  shining  on  the  sails.  The 
allusion  is  to  the  electrical  phenomenon  called  St.  Elmo's  fire,  which  often 
appears  on  the  yards  or  mastheads  of  vessels  before  or  during  thunder- 
storms. St.  Elmo  is  St.  Erasmus  of  Formia,  who  is  believed  by  the 
mariners  of  the  Mediterranean  to  have  power  over  tempests,  like  the 
Dioscuri  of  old.  Some  commentators  see  an  allusion  to  this  St.  Elmo's 
fire  in  the  "lucida  sidera"  of  Horace,  Odes,  i.  3.  2;  but  the  reference 
there  is  probably  to  the  stars  Castor  and  Pollux  in  the  constellation 
Gemini.  Cf.  Longfellow,  Golden  Legend,  v. : 

"  Last  night  I  saw  Saint  Elmo's  stars 
With  their  glimmering  lanterns,  all  at  play 
On  the  tops  of  the  masts  and  the  tips  of  the  spars, 
And  I  knew  we  should  have  foul  weather  to-day." 

774.  A  stately  dome.    The  temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux.    See  on  7  above. 
780.  Marked  evermore  with  white.     See  on  20  above. 
788.  Mars  without  the  wall.     See  on  8  above. 


VIRGINIA. 

Macaulay's  introduction  to  the  poem  is  as  follows : 

"  A  collection  consisting  exclusively  of  war-songs  would  give  an  imper- 
fect, or  rather  an  erroneous,  notion  of  the  spirit  of  the  old  Latin  ballads. 
The  patricians,  during  more  than  a  century  after  the  expulsion  of  the 
kings,  held  all  the  high  military  commands.  A  plebeian,  even  though, 
like  Lucius  Siccius,  he  were  distinguished  by  his  valor  and  knowledge  of 
war,  could  serve  only  in  subordinate  posts.  A  minstrel,  therefore,  who 


VIRGINIA.  !67 

wished  to  celebrate  the  early  triumphs  of  his  country  could  hardly  take 
any  but  patricians  for  his  heroes.  The  warriors  who  are  mentioned  in 
the  two  preceding  lays — Horatius,  Lartius,  Herminius,  Aulus  Posthu- 
mius,  /Ebutius  Elva,  Sempronius  Atratinus,  Valerius  Poplicola — were  all 
members  of  the  dominant  order ;  and  a  poet  who  was  singing  their 
praises,  whatever  his  own  political  opinions  might  be,  would  naturally 
abstain  from  insulting  the  class  to  which  they  belonged,  and  from  reflect- 
ing on  the  system  which  had  placed  such  men  at  the  head  of  the  legions 
of  the  commonwealth. 

"  But  there  was  a  class  of  compositions  in  which  the  great  families  were 
by  no  means  so  courteously  treated.  No  parts  of  early  Roman  history 
are  richer  with  poetical  coloring  than  those  which  relate  to  the  long  con- 
test between  the  privileged  houses  and  the  commonalty.  The  popula- 
tion of  Rome  was,  from  a  very  early  period,  divided  into  hereditary  castes, 
which,  indeed,  readily  united  to  repel  foreign  enemies,  but  which  regard- 
ed eacli  other,  during  many  years,  with  bitter  animosity.  Between  those 
castes  there  was  a  barrier  hardly  less  strong  than  that  which,  at  Venice, 
parted  the  members  of  the  Great  Council  from  their  countrymen.  In 
some  respects,  indeed,  the  line  which  separated  an  Icilius  or  a  Duilius 
from  a  Posthumius  or  a  Fabius  was  even  more  deeply  marked  than  that 
which  separated  the  rower  of  a  gondola  from  a  Contarini  or  a  Morosini. 
At  Venice  the  distinction  was  merely  civil.  At  Rome  it  was  both  civil 
and  religious.  Among  the  grievances  under  which  the  plebeians  suffered, 
three  were  felt  as  peculiarly  severe.  They  were  excluded  from  the  high- 
est magistracies  ;  they  were  excluded  from  all  share  in  the  public  lands; 
and  they  were  ground  down  to  the  dust  by  partial  and  barbarous  legisla- 
tion touching  pecuniary  contracts.  The  ruling  class  in  Rome  was  a  mon- 
eyed class  ;  and  it  made  and  administered  the  laws  with  a  view  solely  to 
its  own  interest.  Thus  the  relation  between  lender  and  borrower  was 
mixed  up  with  the  relation  between  sovereign  and  subject.  The  great 
men  held  a  large  portion  of  the  community  in  dependence  by  means  of 
"advances  at  enormous  usury.  The  law  of  debt,  framed  by  creditors  and 
for  the  protection  of  creditors,  was  the  most  horrible  that  has  ever  been 
known  among  men.  The  liberty  and  even  the  life  of  the  insolvent  were 
at  the  mercy  of  the  patrician  money-lenders.  Children  often  became 
slaves  in  consequence  of  the  misfortunes  of  their  parents.  The  debtor 
was  imprisoned,  not  in  a  public  jail  under  the  care  of  impartial  public 
functionaries,  but  in  a  private  workhouse  belonging  to  the  creditor. 
Frightful  stories  were  told  respecting  these  dungeons.  It  was  said  that 
torture  and  brutal  violation  were  common  ;  that  tight  stocks,  heavy 
chains,  scanty  measures  of  food,  were  used  to  punish  wretches  guilty  of 
nothing  but  poverty  ;  and  that  brave  soldiers  whose  breasts  were  covered 
with  honorable  scars  were  often  marked  still  more  deeply  on  the  back  by 
the  scourges  of  high-born  usurers. 

"  The  plebeians  were,  however,  not  wholly  without  constitutional  rights. 
From  an  early  period  they  had  been  admitted  to  some  share  of  political 
power.  They  were  enrolled  each  in  his  century,  and  were  allowed  a 
share,  considerable,  though  not  proportioned  to  their  numerical  strength, 
in  the  disposal  of  those  high  dignities  from  which  they  were  themselves 


1 68  NOTES. 

excluded.  Thus  their  position  bore  some  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
Irish  Catholics  during  the  interval  between  the  year  1792  and  the  year 
1829.  The  plebeians  had  also  the  privilege  of  annually  appointing  offi- 
cers named  tribunes,  who  had  no  active  share  in  the  government  of  the 
commonwealth,  but  who,  by  degrees,  acquired  a  power  formidable  even  to 
the  ablest  and  most  resolute  consuls  and  dictators.  The  person  of  the 
tribune  was  inviolable ;  and,  though  he  could  directly  effect  little,  he  could 
obstruct  everything. 

"During  more  than  a  century  after  the  institution  of  the  tribuneship, 
the  Commons  struggled  manfully  for  the  removal  of  the  grievances  under 
which  they  labored ;  and,  in  spite  of  many  checks  and  reverses,  succeeded 
in  wringing  concession  after  concession  from  the  stubborn  aristocracy. 
At  length,  in  the  year  of  the  city  378,  both  parties  mustered  their  whole 
strength  for  their  last  and  most  desperate  conflict.  The  popular  and  act- 
ive tribune  Caius  Licinius  proposed  the  three  memorable  laws  which  are 
called  by  his  name,  and  which  were  intended  to  redress  the  three  great 
evils  of  which  the  plebeians  complained.  He  was  supported,  with  eminent 
ability  and  firmness,  by  his  colleague, Lucius  Sextius.  The  struggle  appears 
to  have  been  the  fiercest  that  ever  in  any  community  terminated  without 
an  appeal  to  arms.  If  such  a  contest  had  raged  in  any  Greek  city,  the 
streets  would  have  run  with  blood.  But,  even  in  the  paroxysms  of  fac- 
tion, the  Roman  retained  his  gravity,  his  respect  for  law,  and  his  tender- 
ness for  the  lives  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Year  after  year  Licinius  and  Sex- 
tius were  re-elected  tribunes.  Year  after  year,  if  the  narrative  which  has 
come  down  to  us  is  to  be  trusted,  they  continued  to  exert,  to  the  full  ex- 
tent, their  power  of  stopping  the  whole  machine  of  government.  No  cu- 
rule  magistrate  could  be  chosen  ;  no  military  muster  could  be  held.  We 
know  too  little  of  the  state  of  Rome  in  those  days  to  be  able  to  conjecture 
how,  during  that  long  anarchy,  the  peace  was  kept,  and  ordinary  justice 
administered  between  man  and  man.  The  animosity  of  botli  parties  rose 
to  the  greatest  height.  The  excitement,  we  may  well  suppose,  would 
have  been  peculiarly  intense  at  the  annual  election  of  tribunes.  On  such 
occasions  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  great  families  did  all  that 
could  be  done,  by  threats  and  caresses,  to  break  the  union  of  the  plebe- 
ians. That  union,  however,  proved  indissoluble.  At  length  the  good 
cause  triumphed.  The  Licinian  laws  were  carried.  Lucius  Sextius  was 
the  first  plebeian  consul,  Caius  Licinius  the  third. 

"  The  results  of  this  great  change  were  singularly  happy  and  glorious. 
Two  centuries  of  prosperity,  harmony,  and  victory  followed  the  reconcil- 
iation of  the  orders.  Men  who  remembered  Rome  engaged  in  waging 
petty  wars  almost  within  sight  of  the  Capitol  lived  to  see  her  the  mistress 
of  Italy.  While  the  disabilities  of  the  plebeians  continued,  she  was 
scarcely  able  to  maintain  her  ground  against  the  Volscians  and  Herni- 
cians.  When  those  disabilities  were  removed,  she  rapidly  became  more 
than  a  match  for  Carthage  and  Macedon. 

"During  the  great  Licinian  contest  the  plebeian  poets  were,  doubtless, 
not  silent  Even  in  modern  times  songs  have  been  by  no  means  without 
influence  on  public  affairs  ;  and  we  may  therefore  infer  that,  in  a  society 
where  printing  was  unknown  and  where  books  were  rare,  a  pathetic  or 


VIRGINIA.  ify 

humorous  party-ballad  must  have  produced  effects  such  as  we  can  but 
faintly  conceive.  It  is  certain  that  satirical  poems  were  common  at  Rome 
from  a  very  early  period.  The  rustics,  who  lived  at  a  distance  from  the 
seat  of  government,  and  took  little  part  in  the  strife  of  factions,  gave  vent 
to  their  petty  local  animosities  in  coarse  Fescennine  verse.  The  lam- 
poons of  the  city  were  doubtless  of  a  higher  order  ;  and  their  sting  was 
early  felt  by  the  nobility.  For  in  the  Twelve  Tables,  long  before  the 
time  of  the  Licinian  laws,  a  severe  punishment  was  denounced  against 
the  citizen  who  should  compose  or  recite  verses  reflecting  on  another.* 
Satire  is,  indeed,  the  only  sort  of  composition  in  which  the  Latin  poets 
whose  works  have  come  down  to  us  were  not  mere  imitators  of  foreign 
models ;  and  it  is  therefore  the  only  sort  of  composition  in  which  they 
have  never  been  rivalled.  It  was  not,  like  their  tragedy,  their  comedy, 
their  epic  and  lyric  poetry,  a  hot-house  plant  which,  in  return  for  assidu- 
ous and  skilful  culture,  gave  only  scanty  and  sickly  fruits.  It  was  hardy 
and  full  of  sap  ;  and  in  all  the  various  juices  which  it  yielded  might  be 
distinguished  the  flavor  of  the  Ausonian  soil.  'Satire,'  said  Quintilian, 
with  just  pride,  'is  all  our  own.'  Satire  sprang, in  truth,  naturally  from 
the  constitution  of  the  Roman  government  and  from  the  spirit  of  the  Ro- 
man people,  and,  though  at  length  subjected  to  metrical  rules  derived 
from  Greece,  retained  to  the  last  an  essentially  Roman  character.  Lu- 
cilius  was  the  earliest  satirist  whose  works  were  held  in  esteem  under 
the  Caesars.  But,  many  years  before  Lucilius  was  born,  Naevkis  had  been 
flung  into  a  dungeon  and  guarded  there  with  circumstances  of  unusual 
rigor,  on  account  of  the  bitter  lines  in  which  he  had  attacked  the  great 
Caecilian  family.t  The  genius  and  spirit  of  the  Roman  satirists  survived 
the  liberty  of  their  country,  and  were  not  extinguished  by  the  cruel  des- 
potism of  the  Julian  and  Flavian  emperors.  The  great  poet  who  told  the 
story  of  Domitian's  turbot  was  the  legitimate  successor  of  those  forgot- 
ten minstrels  whose  songs  animated  the  factions  of  the  infant  republic. 

"  Those  minstrels,  as  Niebuhr  has  remarked,  appear  to  have  generally 
taken  the  popular  side.  We  can  hardly  be  mistaken  in  supposing  that, 
at  the  great  crisis  of  the  civil  conflict,  they  employed  themselves  in  versi- 
fying all  the  most  powerful  and  virulent  speeches  of  the  tribunes,  and  in 
heaping  abuse  on  the  leaders  of  the  aristocracy.  Every  personal  defect, 
every  domestic  scandal,  every  tradition  dishonorable  to  a  noble  house, 
would  be  sought  out,  brought  into  notice,  and  exaggerated.  The  illus- 
trious head  of  the  aristocratical  party,  Marcus  Furius  Camillus,  might 
perhaps  be,  in  some  measure,  protected  by  his  venerable  age  and  by  the 
memory  of  his  great  services  to  the  state.  But  Appius  Claudius  Cras- 
sus  enjoyed  no  such  immunity.  He  was  descended  from  a  long  line  of 
ancestors  distinguished  by  their  haughty  demeanor  and  by  the  inflexi- 
bility with  which  they  had  withstood  all  the  demands  of  the  plebeian  or- 

*  Cicero  justly  infers  from  tliis  law  that  there  had  been  early  Latin  poets  whose 
works  had  been  lost  before  his  time.  "  Quamquam  id  quidem  etiam  xii  tabulae  dec!a- 
rant,  condi  jam  turn  solitum  esse  carmen,  quod  ne  liceret  fieri  ad  alterius  injuriam  lege 
sanxerunt  (  Tusc.  iv.  2). 

t  Plautus,  Miles  G.ortosus      Aulus  Gellius,  iii.  3. 


170 


NOTES. 


der.  While  the  political  conduct  and  the  deportment  of  the  Clau'dian 
nobles  drew  upon  them  the  fiercest  public  hatred,  they  were  accused  of 
wanting,  if  any  credit  is  due  to  the  early  history  of  Rome,  a  class  of  qual- 
ities which,  in  a  military  commonwealth,  is  sufficient  to  cover  a  multitude 
of  offences.  The  chiefs  of  the  family  appear  to  have  been  eloquent, 
versed  in  civil  business,  and  learned  after  the  fashion  of  their  age ;  but 
in  war  they  were  not  distinguished  by  skill  or  valor.  Some  of  them,  as 
if  conscious  where  their  weakness  lay,  had,  when  filling  the  highest  mag- 
istracies, taken  internal  administration  as  their  department  of  public  busi- 
ness, and  left  the  military  command  to  their  colleagues.*  One  of  them 
had  been  intrusted  with  an  army,  and  had  failed  ignominiously.t  None 
of  them  had  been  honored  with  a  triumph.  None  of  them  had  achieved 
any  martial  exploit,  such  as  those  by  which  Lucius  Quinctius  Cincinnatus, 
Titus  Quinctius  Capitolinus,  Aulus  Cornelius  Cossus,  and,  above  all,  the 
great  Camillus,  had  extorted  the  reluctant  esteem  of  the  multitude.  Dur- 
ing the  Licinian  conflict,  Appi us  Claudius  Crassus  signalized  himself  by 
the  ability  and  severity  with  which  he  harangued  against  the  two  great 
agitators.  He  would  naturally,  therefore,  be  the  favorite  mark  of  the 
plebeian  satirists ;  nor  would  they  have  been  at  a  loss  to  find  a  point  on 
which  he  was  open  to  attack. 

"  His  grandfather,  called,  like  himself,  Appius  Claudius,  had  left  a  name 
as  much  detested  as  that  of  Sexttis  Tarquinius.  This  elder  Appius  had 
been  consul  more  than  seventy  years  before  the  introduction  of  the  Li- 
cinian laws.  By  availing  himself  of  a  singular  crisis  in  public  feeling,  he 
had  obtained  the  consent  of  the  Commons  to  the  abolition  of  the  tribune- 
ship,  and  had  been  the  chief  of  that  Council  of  Ten  to  which  the  whole 
direction  of  the  state  had  been  committed.  In  a  few  months  his  admin- 
istration had  become  universally  odious.  It  had  been  swept  away  by  an 
irresistible  outbreak  of  popular  fury ;  and  its  memory  was  still  held  in 
abhorrence  by  the  whole  city.  The  immediate  cause  of  the  downfall  of 
this  execrable  government  was  said  to  have  been  an  attempt  made  by 
Appius  Claudius  upon  the  chastity  of  a  beautiful  young  girl  of  humble 
birth.  The  story  ran  that  the  Decemvir,  unable  to  succeed  by  bribes  and 
solicitations,  resorted  to  an  outrageous  act  of  tyranny.  A  vile  dependant 
of  the  Claudian  house  laid  claim  to  the  damsel  as  his  slave.  The  cause 
was  brought  before  the  tribunal  of  Appius.  The  wicked  magistrate,  in 
defiance  of  the  clearest  proofs,  gave  judgment  for  the  claimant.  But  the 
girl's  father,  a  brave  soldier,  saved  her  from  servitude  and  dishonor  by 
stabbing  her  to  the  heart  in  the  sight  of  the  whole  Forum.  That  blow 
was  the  signal  for  a  general  explosion.  Camp  and  city  rose  at  once  ;  the 
Ten  were  pulled  down  ;  the  tribuneship  was  re-established  ;  and  Appius 
escaped  the  hands  of  the  executioner  only  by  a  voluntary  death. 

"It  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  a  story  so  admirably  adapted  to  the 
purposes  both  of  the  poet  and  of  the  demagogue  would  be  eagerly  seized 
upon  by  minstrels  burning  with  hatred  against  the  patrician  order,  against 
the  Claudian  House,  and  especially  against  the  grandson  and  namesake 
of  the  infamous  Decemvir. 

*  In  the  years  of  the  city  260,  304,  330.  t  In  the  year  of  the  city  282. 


VIRGINIA.  171 

"  In  order  that  the  reader  may  judge  fairly  of  these  fragments  of  the  Lay 
of  Virginia,  he  must  imagine  himself  a  plebeian  who  has  just  voted  for 
the  re-election  of  Sextius  and  Licinius.  All  the  power  of  the  patricians 
has  been  exerted  to  throw  out  the  two  great  champions  of  the  Commons. 
Every  Posthumius,  vEmilius,  and  Cornelius  has  used  his  influence  to  the 
utmost.  Debtors  have  been  let  out  of  the  workhouses  on  condition  of 
voting  against  the  men  of  the  people ;  clients  have  been  posted  to  hiss 
and  interrupt  the  favorite  candidates ;  Appius  Claudius  Crassus  has 
spoken  with  more  than  his  usual  eloquence  and  asperity  ;  all  has  been  in 
vain  ;  Licinius  and  Sextius  have  a  fifth  time  carried  all  the  tribes ;  work 
is  suspended  ;  the  booths  are  closed  ;  the  plebeians  bear  on  their  shoul- 
ders the  two  champions  of  liberty  through  the  Forum.  Just  at  this  mo- 
ment it  is  announced  that  a  popular  poet,  a  zealous  adherent  of  the  trib- 
unes, has  made  a  new  song  which  will  cut  the  Claudian  nobles  to  the 
heart.  The  crowd  gathers  round  him,  and  calls  on  him  to  recite  it.  He 
takes  his  stand  on  the  spot  where,  according  to  tradition,  Virginia,  more 
than  seventy  years  ago,  was  seized  by  the  pander  of  Appius,  and  he  be- 
gins his  story." 

3.  Tribunes.     See  on  Horatius,  267  above. 

10.  Of  fountains  running  -wine.     A  familiar  touch  of  fancy  in  ancient 
legends,  as  in  those  of  later  times. 

11.  Of  maids  with  snaky  tresses.     Like  the  Gorgon  Medusa,  slain  by 
Perseus.     Athena  afterwards  placed  her  head,  which  was  so  terrible  that 
whosoever  looked  at  it  was  turned  to  stone,  in  the  centre  of  her  aegis. 

12.  Sailors  turned  to  swine.     The  allusion  is  to  the  transformation  of 
the  companions  of  Odysseus  by  the  enchantress  Circe. 

20.  The  wicked  Ten.  The  Decemvirs.  In  462  B.C.  a  law  was  proposed 
by  the  tribune  C.  Terentillus  Arsa  that  a  commission  should  be  appoint- 
ed for  drawing  up  a  code  of  laws.  At  that  time  none  but  the  patricians 
knew  the  laws,  so  that  they  were  able  to  take  advantage  of  the  plebeians. 
The  proposition  was  bitterly  opposed  by  the  patricians,  and  it  was  only 
after  a  struggle  of  nine  years  that  they  consented  to  send  a  commission 
of  three  men  to  Greece  to  collect  information  about  the  laws  and  customs 
of  the  Greeks.  In  45 1  B.C.  the  Decemvirs,  all  patricians,  were  appointed. 
The  whole  government  of  the  state  was  put  into  their  hands,  all  other 
magistrates,  including  the  tribunes,  being  obliged  to  abdicate.  Each  of 
the  Decemvirs  governed  one  day  in  turn,  and  the  fasces  were  carried  only 
before  the  one  in  power.  During  the  first  year  their  rule  was  just  and 
impartial,  and,  as  their  work  was  unfinished  at  the  end  of  the  year,  De- 
cemvirs were  again  chosen,  of  whom  Appius  Claudius  alone  belonged  to 
the  former  body.  These  second  Decemvirs  acted  in  a  most  tyrannical 
fashion.  Twelve  lictors  with  the  axes  and  fasces  attended  each.  They 
made  common  cause  with  the  patricians,  and  inflicted  all  manner  of  out- 
rages on  plebeians.  Finally,  the  act  of  Appius  Claudius  here  described 
led  to  their  deposition  and  the  re-establishment  of  the  usual  magistrates. 
The  story,  like  most  of  the  early  Roman  legends,  is  full  of  improbabili- 
ties, of  which  the  most  glaring  is  the  statement  that  a  commission  was 
sent  from  Rome  to  Greece  to  get  material  for  a  code  of  laws. 


172 


NOTES. 


27.  Twelve  axes.    That  is,  lictors.     See  on  Lake  Kegilliis,  2  above. 

30.  Askance.  Obliquely.  Cowper  (Homer's  Jliad,  xi.)  writes  "with 
his  eyes  askant."  The  literal  sense  is  "on  the  slope."  It  is  little  else 
than  another  form  of  aslant. 

32.  Alway.     See  on  Horatius,  68  above. 

40.  Client.     See  on  Lake  Regillns,  325  above. 

45.  Such  varlets  pimp  and  jest  for  hire,  etc.     The  reference  is  to  the 
parasites,  or  professional  diners-out,  who  are  so  admirably  delineated  in 
the  comedies  of  Plautus  and  Terence.     They  tried  to  amuse  people  with 
their  jests,  and  cheerfully  bore  all  sorts  of  humiliation  and  ridicule  for 
the  sake  of  getting  a  good  dinner  without  paying  for  it.     A  specimen 
of  the  wit  of  some  of  these  buffoons,  who  in  later  times  existed  at  Rome 
as  well,  is  given  by  Horace  in  his  Journey  to  Brundisium  (Satires,  i.  5. 
52  fol.). 

Varlet.  The  older  spelling  was  vaslet,  which  is  for  vassalet,  a  diminu- 
tive of  vassal.  It  meant  originally  a  young  vassal,  a  youth ;  hence  a  ser- 
vant (valet) ;  and  finally  it  came  to  be  a  term  of  reproach. 

46.  The  lying  Greeks.     The  Romans  had  a  profound  contempt  for  the 
Greeks,  whom  they  looked  on  as  false  and  cunning.    See  Juvenal,  iii.  74 : 

"  Ede.  quid  ilium 

Esse  putes  ?  quern  vis  hominem  secum  attulit  ad  DOS  : 
Grammaticus.  rhetor,  geometres,  pictor,  aliptes, 
Augur,  schoenobates.  medicus,  magus,  omnia  novit 
Graeculus  esuriens :  in  caelum,  iusseris,  ibit. 

6l.  Her  small  tablets.  These  tablets  consisted  of  two,  or  sometimes 
three,  thin  pieces  of  wood,  of  which  the  outer  surfaces  were  plain,  while 
the  inner  were  covered  with  wax, 
surrounded  by  a  narrow  rim  of  wood. 
They  were  written  on  by  means  of 
the  stylus,  which  was  an  iron  instru- 
ment resembling  a  pencil  in  size  and 
shape.  At  one  end  it  was  sharpened 
to  a  point  for  writing  on  the  wax, 
while  the  other  was  flat  and  circular 
for  erasing  what  had  been  written. 

63.  From  the  school.  The  schools 
were  then  kept  in  booths  or  stalls 
around  the  forum. 

69.  The  Sacred  Street.    The  Sac ra 
Via,  one  of  the  most  ancient  and 
important  streets  of  Rome,  ascend- 
ing from  the  forum  to  the  citadel  on  the  Capitoline  hill.    Along  it  every 
month  the  white  sheep  that  was  sacrificed  on  the  ides  to  Jupiter  was  borne 
to  the  citadel.     Thence  the  augurs  too  descended  by  this  road. 

73.  How  for  a  sport  the  princes,  etc.  When  Tarquin  was  besieging 
Ardea  (see  on  Lake  Regillns,  619  above)  the  king's  sons  and  their  cousin 
Tarquinius  Collatinus  got  into  a  dispute  about  the  merits  of  their  wive?. 
As  nothing  was  going  on  at  Ardea,  they  mounted  their  horses,  intend- 
ing to  return  to  their  homes  unexpectedly.  They  first  went  to  Rome, 


TABULA    AND   STYLUS. 


VIRGINIA, 


'73 


where  they  surprised  the  king's  daughters  at  a  splendid  banquet.  From 
there  they  hastened  to  Collatia  where,  although  it  was  already  late  at 
night,  they  found  Lucretia  among  her  handmaids  spinning. 

92.  Curled  the  thin  -wreaths  of  smoke.  Wilkins,  in  his  Primer  of  Roman 
Antiquities,  comparing  the  appearance  of  a  Roman  and  an  English  town, 
says:  "The  faint  blue  smoke  that  curled  gently  up  from  the  atrium  fur- 
nished a  magic  veil  very  different  from  the  dingy  pall  that  broods  over 
English  towns." 

94.  The  Forum.     See  on  Lake  Regilltts,  7  above. 

99.  Panniers.     Strictly  bread-baskets  (from  the  Latin  panis,  bread). 

i?8.  Punic.     Carthaginian.     Cf.  Capys,  in,  173. 

130.  Brand.     A  sword.     See  on  Horatius,  189  above. 

131.  Flesher.     Butcher;  properly  a  Scottish  word. 

139.  Caitiff.  A  mean  fellow,  a  wretch ;  originally  merely  a  captive, 
from  the  Latin  captivus,  through  the  old  French  chaitif  (now  chetif). 

147.  The  year  of  the  sore  sickness.  In  the  year  463  B.C.  a  great  plague 
raged  at  Rome.  The  consul  P.  Servilius  Priscus,  and  the  augurs  M.  Va- 
lerius and  T.  Virginius  Rutilus  died  of  it.  See  Livy,  iii.  7.  According 
to  this,  Virginia  would  be  but  fourteen  years  old  in  449  when  these  events 
took  place,  but  the  Roman  girls  matured  young. 

1 50.  The  month  of -wail  and  fright.    September  was  always  an  unhealthy 
month  at  Rome,  and  in  later  times  those  who  could  do  so  left  the  city  then 
for  country  or  seaside  resorts.     See  Horace, 

Epistles,  i.  16.  16 :  "  Incolumem  tibi  me  prae- 
stant  Septembribus  horis ;"  and  Odes,  ii.  14. 

"  Frustra  per  autumnos  nocentem 
Corporibus  metuemus  austrum.' 

151.  Augurs.      For   the    derivation    and 
meaning  of  the  word,  see  on  Horatius,  388 
above.    The  college  of  augurs  originally  con- 
sisted of  three  members,  but  the  number  was 
afterwards  increased  to  nine.    The  only  dis- 
tinction in  the  college  was  one  of  age;  an 
elder  augur  always  voted  before  a  younger, 
even  if  the  latter  held  one  of  the  higher  of- 
fices in  the  state.     See  Cicero,  De  Senectute, 
18.64:  "  Multa  in  nostro  collegio  praeclara, 
sed  hoc ...  in  primis,  quod,  ut  quisque  aetate 
antecedit,  ita  sententiae  principatum  tenet, 
neque  solum  honore  antecedentibus,  sed  eis 
etiam,  qui  cum  imperio  sunt,  maiores  natu 
augures  anteponuntur."    As  insignia  of  their 
office  they  wore  the  trabea,  a  saffron  robe  or- 
namented with  horizontal  stripes  of  purple, 
and  carried  the  lituns,  a  curved  wand,  which 
is  often  represented  in  various  forms  on  works 
of  art. 

177.  That  column,  etc.    The  monument  in 


I74  NOTES. 

the  forum  known  as  the  pila  Horatio,  (or  Iforatiaiia).  It  was  erected  in 
the  reign  of  Tullus  Hostilius,  to  commemorate  the  victory  of  the  three 
Horatii  over  the  Curatii,  and  bore  the  spoils  taken  from  the  latter.  See 
Livy,  i.  26. 

187.  Quirites.  Originally  the  inhabitants  of  the  Sabine  town  of  Cures. 
After  the  Sabines  and  the  Romans  had  united  in  one  community,  under 
Romulus,  the  name  of  Quirites  was  taken  in  addition  to  Romani,  the  Ro- 
mans calling  themselves  in  a  civil  capacity  Quirites,  while  in  a  political 
and  military  capacity  they  retained  the  name  of  Romani.  It  was  a  re- 
proach for  soldiers  to  be  called  Quirites,  and  Suetonius  (Casar,  70)  says 
that  Caesar  once  quelled  a  mutiny  by  addressing  the  rebellious  soldiers 
as  "  Quirites." 

189.  Servius.  Servius  Tullius,  the  sixth  king  of  Rome,  who,  according 
to  the  tradition,  reformed  the  Roman  constitution,  and  established  the 
Comitia  Centnriata.  He  divided  the  entire  population,  plebeians  and 
patricians  alike,  into  five  great  classes  on  the  basis  of  wealth.  Each  of 
the  classes  was  divided  into  a  certain  number  of  centuries  or  companies, 
half  of  which  consisted  of  seniores  from  the  age  of  46  to  60,  and  half  of 
juniores  from  17  to  45.  At  the  head  of  the  classes  were  the  equites 
(see  on  Lake  Regillus,  3  above).  The  five  classes  formed  192  centuries, 
including  four  centuries  of  smiths,  carpenters,  and  horn-blowers,  each 
century  having  one  vote.  Citizens  whose  property  was  less  than  12,500 
asses  of  copper  were  not  included  in  the  classes,  and  formed  a  single 
century.  This  arrangement,  which  gave  the  balance  of  power  to  wealth 
and  age,  seems  to  have  continued  unchanged  until  after  the  First  Punic 
War.  At  some  time  between  the  First  and  Second  Punic  Wars,  a  new 
arrangement  was  made  on  the  basis  of  the  35  tribes.  The  old  division 
into  five  classes  was  retained,  but  for  each  tribe  there  were  two  centuries 
of  each  class,  which  with  the  18  centuries  of  knights,  the  guilds  of  horn- 
blowers,  smiths,  and  carpenters,  and  a  century  of  those  who  had  no  prop- 
erty, made  373  in  all. 

193.  JDid  those  false  sons,  etc.  Lucius  Junius  Brutus,  the  liberator  and 
first  consul  of  Rome,  put  to  death  his  two  sons,  when  they  were  detected 
with  some  other  young  Roman  nobles  in  a  conspiracy  to  restore  Tar- 
quin.  Cf.  Virgil,  ^Eneid,^.  820  foil. : 

"natosque  pater  nova  bella  moventes 
Ad  poenam  pulchra  pro  libertate  vocabit, 
Infelix !     Utcumque  ferent  ea  facta  minores, 
Vincet  amor  patnae  laudumque  immensa  cupido." 

195.  Sccwola.  When  King  Porsena  was  besieging  Rome,  C.  Mucius, 
a  young  patrician,  went  out  of  the  city,  telling  the  senate  he  was  going 
not  for  plunder,  but  for  some  noble  deed.  He  attempted  to  assassinate 
the  king,  but  by  mistake  killed  his  secretary,  who  was  dressed  very  much 
like  the  king  himself.  When  seized  and  brought  before  Porsena,  he 
boldly  declared  his  design  of  killing  the  king  himself,  and  told  him  that 
there  were  many  more  Roman  youths  who  had  sworn  to  take  his  life. 
Porsena  ordered  him  to  be  burnt  alive,  unless  he  would  more  fully  ex- 
plain his  threat,  when  Mucius  thrust  his  right  hand  into  a  fire  which  was 


VIRGINIA.  175 

lighted  for  a  sacrifice,  and  held  it  there  until  it  was  entirely  consumed. 
The  king  was  so  amazed  at  his  firmness  that  he  bade  him  go  away  free. 
Mucius  then  told  him  that  three  hundred  of  the  noblest  young  men  at 
Rome  had  sworn  to  kill  the  king,  and  that  the  lot  had  first  fallen  on  him. 
Porsena  became  alarmed,  and  made  proposals  of  peace  to  the  Romans. 
Mucius,  on  account  of  the  loss  of  his  right  hand,  received  the  name  of 
Sccevola,  or  left-handed.  He  was  given  a  tract  of  land  across  the  Tiber 
called  the  Alucia,  Praia. 

197.  Fox-earth.     The  fox's  hole  ;  used  here  for  the  animal  itself. 

204.  The  Sncred  Hill.     See  on  Lake  Regillus,  14  above. 

207.  The  Martian  fnry.     The  reference  is  to  Caius  Marcus,  surnamed 
Coriolanus,  from  his  capture  of  Corioli,  who  was  exiled  by  the  plebeians 
because  he  attempted  to  force  them  to  give  up  their  tribunes,  advising 
the  senate,  if  they  refused,  not  to  distribute  to  them  a  present  of  corn 
which  had  come  from  Sicily  in  a  time  of  famine.    He  went  to  Antium  and 
led  the  Volscians  against  Rome.    He  took  town  after  town,  and  advanced 
within  five  miles  of  the  city,  ravaging  the  lands  of  the  plebeians,  but  spar- 
ing those  of  the  patricians.     After  distinguished  embassies  had  been  sent 
in  vain,  he  yielded  to  the  prayers  of  a  delegation  of  the  noblest  matrons 
headed  by  his  aged  mother  Veturia  and  his  wife  Volumnia.*     He  led 
the  Volscians  home  again  and  was  put  to  death  by  them.     See  Shake- 
speare's Coriolanus.    In  addition  to  the  many  improbabilities  in  the  story, 
Livy  tells  us  that  Scipio  Africanus  (201  B.C.)  was  the  first  Roman  to  re- 
ceive a  surname  from  his  conquests.     See  on  Lake  Regillus,  84  above. 

208.  The  Fabian  Pride.     See  on  Luke  Regillus,  356  above. 

209.  The  fiercest  Qtiinctius.     Caeso,  son  of  L.  Quinctius  Cincinnatus, 
the  dictator,  distinguished  himself  as  a  violent  opponent  of  the  plebeians. 
He  was  a  high  spirited  young  man,  distinguished  for  his  strength  and 
size.     He  and  his  companions,  as  Livy  tells  us  (iii.  n),  often  drove  the 
tribunes  from  the  forum  and  put  the  plebeians  to  flight.    He  was  brought 
to  trial  by  one  of  the  tribunes,  and  in  spite  of  his  father's  efforts  was  in 
danger  of  condemnation  through  the  evidence  of  one  Volscius.     He  fled 
from  the  city,  forfeiting  his  bail,  which  was  mercilessly  exacted  from  his 
father.     Volscius  was  afterwards  arraigned  and  went  into  voluntary  ban- 
ishment.    Caeso  died  in  exile. 

211.  The  haughtiest  Claudius.  Probably  the  decemvir's  grandfather, 
who  was  a  bitter  enemy  of  the  plebeians. 

221.  No  crier  to  the  foiling,  etc.  The  people  were  called  together 
for  voting  by  three  distinct  acts.  The  first  was  a  general  invitation 
(inlicium)  to  come  to  the  assembly.  While  the  invitation  was  being 
proclaimed,  a  horn  was  blown.  When  upon  this  signal  the  people  as- 
sembled in  irregular  masses,  there  followed  a  second  call,  when  the 
crowd  separated,  grouping  themselves  according  to  their  ages  and  class- 
es. Hereupon  the  consul  appeared,  and  led  the  exercitus,  as  it  was  called 
(the  arrangement  was  originally  for  military  purposes),  out  of  the  city  to 
the  Campus  Martius,  where  the  election  took  place. 

»  Plutarch  calls  his  mother  Volumnia  and  his  wife  Virgilia ;  and  Shakespeare  follows 
Plutarch  in  this. 


i76 


NOTES. 


229.  The  holy  fillets.    The  insignia  of  the  priesthoods,  to  which  the 
patricians  alone  were  eligible.     See  on  Capys,  71  below. 

230.  The  purple  gown.    Not  entirely  of  purple,  but  with  a  broad  purple 
border ;  the  toga  praetexla,  the  badge  of  senatorial  rank.    Togas  wholly 
of  purple  were  worn  by  the  Roman  emperors ;  they  seem  to  have  been 
first  assumed  by  Julius  Caesar. 

231.  The  curule  chair.     The  sella  curulis,  or  chair  of  state,  originally  a 
symbol  of  kingly  power.     Cf.  488  and  532  below.     Under  the  republic 
the  right  of  sitting  on  this  chair  belonged  to  the  consuls,  praetors,  curule 
aediles,  and  censors ;  also  to 

the  dictator  and  the  magis- 
ter  equitum  (all  of  which 
offices  were  open  only  to 
patricians  at  this  time).  It 
was  very  plain,  resembling 
a  common  folding  camp- 
stool,  but  with  curved  legs. 
The  cut  shows  a  curule  j 
chair,  and  also  two  pair  of  I 
bronze  legs  for  such  chairs. 
It  has  been  supposed  that 
the  word  curulis  was  derived 
from  turvus,  from  the  shape 
of  the  chair,  but  it  seems  to  < 
be  an  adjective  from  currus, 
a  chariot  or  car. 

232.  The  far.     The  quadriga,  or  four-horse  chariot,  in  which  the  Ro- 
man generals  and  emperors  rode  when  they  triumphed.     The  laurel  crown 
was    also    one   of   the    tri- 
umphal insignia. 

233.  Cohorts.   The  cohort 
was  a  tenth  part  of  the  le- 
gion.    See   on  Capys,  180 
below. 

238.  Leech -craft.     Medi- 
cal skill.      See  on  367  and 
433  below. 

239.  Usance.  Interest  paid 
for  the  use  of  money,  here 
used   as  synonymous   with 
usury.      Cf.    Shakespeare, 
M.  of  V.  \.  3.  46 :  "  Brings 
down    the   rate    of   usance 
here  in  Venice." 

244.  Noisome.   Annoying,  QUADRIGA. 

offensive.    Formed  from  the 

MiddleEnglish  noy,  annoyance,  with  the  suffix  some,  as  in  winsome.  Noy 
is  a  contraction  of  anoy.  It  is  not  connected  (as  noise  and  nuisance  are) 
with  the  Latin  verb  nocere,  but  is  derived  from  in  odio  as  employed  in 
certain  common  idiomatic  phrases  (in  odio  habere,  etc.). 


SELLA    CURULIS. 


VIRGINIA. 


177 


246.  In  dog-slar  heat.  The  period  of  most  intense  heat,  which  at  one 
time  corresponded  with  the  heliacal  rising  of  Sirius,  the  dog-star,  was 
called  in  the  language  of  the  people  Canis  Exortus  long  after  the  two 
periods  of  time  no  longer  corresponded ;  just  as  among  ourselves  the 
term  dog-days  is  used  without  regard  to  the  actual  position  of  the  constel- 
lation at  the  time.  The  allusions  to  the  dog-star  in  Latin  poetry  are 
numerous.  Horace  calls  \\.  flagrant,  burning,  and  rubra,  red.  See  also 
Virgil,  sEneid,  iii.  141  :  "turn  sterilis  exurere  Sirius  agros." 

248.  Holes  for  free-born  feet.  That  is,  stocks  in  which  the  feet  were 
confined. 

260.  And  ancient  Alban  kings.  The  town  of  Alba  Longa  (see  on 
Capys,  3  below)  was  older  than  Rome.  According  to  the  tradition,  Asca- 
nius,  sou  of  Aeneas,  founded  Alba  three  hundred  years  before  the  found- 
ing of  Rome  by  Romulus.  See  Virgil,  ALneid,  \.  267-277. 

265.  In  Corinthian  mirrors.  The  mirrors  of  the  ancients  were  com- 
monly made  of  metal,  at  first  of  a  composition  of  tin  and  copper,  after- 
wards usually  of  silver,  but  sometimes  of  gold  and  precious  stones.  Sil- 
ver mirrors  are  mentioned  by  Plautus,  but  the  mirrors  here  referred  to  are 
likely  to  have  been  of  bronze.  Corinth  was  celebrated  for  its  bronze 
work.  The  finest  bronze  known  to  the  Romans  was  called  aes  Co- 
rinthiacnm,  which  was  said  to  have  been  an  alloy  made  accidentally, 
in  the  first  instance,  by  the  melting  and  running  together  of  various  met- 
als, especially  gold  and  bronze,  at  the  burning  of  Corinth  by  Mummius, 
146  B.C. 

267.  Caption  odors.     An  allusion  to  the  luxury  of  Capua.     Cf.  328  be- 
low, and  see  on  Lake  Regillus,  568  above. 

268.  Spanish  gold.     The  Spanish  peninsula  abounded  in  mines  of  pre- 
cious metals,  which  made  it  attractive  to  civilized  nations  from  the  earliest 
times. 

289-356.  Straightway  Virginius  led  the  maid,  etc.  Professor  Wilson 
(Blachvood,  vol.  52,  p.  819)  remarks  :  "  This  is  the  only  passage  in  the  vol- 
ume that  can  be  called — in  the  usual  sense  of  the  word — pathetic.  It  is, 
indeed,  the  only  passage  in  which  Mr.  Macaulay  has  sought  to  stir  up 
that  profound  emotion.  Has  he  succeeded  ?  We  hesitate  not  to  say  he 
has,  to  our  heart's  desire.  Pity  and  terror  are  both  there — but  pity  is  the 
stronger  ;  and,  though  we  almost  fear  to  say  it,  horror  there  is  none — or, 
if  there  be,  it  subsides  wholly  towards  the  close,  which  is  followed  by  a 
feeling  of  peace.  This  effect  has  been  wrought  simply  by  letting  the 
course  of  the-great  natural  affections  flow  on,  obedient  to  the  promptings 
of  a  sound,  manly  heart,  unimpeded  and  undiverted  by  any  alien  influ- 
ences, such  as  are  but  too  apt  to  steal  in  upon  inferior  minds  when  deal- 
ing imaginatively  with  severe  trouble,  and  to  make  them  forget,  in  the  in- 
dulgence of  their  own  self-esteem,  what  a  sacred  thing  is  misery." 

291.  Shambles.  Stalls  on  which  butchers  expose  meat  for  sale  ;  hence 
a  slaughter-house.  Here  the  word  has  its  original  meaning.  It  is  de- 
rived, with  an  excrescent  b  (as  in  number  from  nutrients,  etc.),  from  the 
Latin  scamellum,  a  little  bench  or  stool. 

295.  The  great  snuer.  The  famous  Cloaca  Jlfajrirria,  said  to  have  been 
made  by  Tarquinius  Priscus  to  carry  off  the  waters  from  the  valley  of 
12 


i78 


NOTES. 


CLOACA    MAXIMA. 


the  forum  to  the  Tiber.  It  still 
serves  to  some  extent  its  orig- 
inal purpose.  It  was  of  great 
size,  the  archway  where  it  emp- 
ties into  the  Tiber  being  about 
twelve  feet  high.  Strabo  says 
that  a  cart  loaded  with  hay  could 
pass  through  the  cloaca  in  some 
places.  Pliny  wondered  that  it 
had  endured  for  seven  hundred 
years,  but  it  has  now  remained 
for  eighteen  additional  centuries, 
and  seems  likely  to  last  as  many 
more. 
298.  Whittle.  Knife.  Cf.  Shakespeare,  T.  of  A.  v.  I.  173  : 

"  There  's  not  a  whittle  in  the  unruly  camp 
But  I  do  prize  it  at  my  love  before 
The  reverend's!  throat  in  Athens." 

314.  Civic  crown.  The  corona  civilis  (or  civica),  a  wreath  of  oak  leaves, 
which  was  given  for  preserving  the  life  of  a  citizen  in  battle  and  slaying 
an  enemy.  The  possession  of  this 
crown  was  so  high  an  honor  that  its 
attainment  was  subject  to  very  severe 
regulations.  Before  the  claim  was 
allowed,  it  must  be  proved  that  the 
claimant  had  saved  the  life  of  a  Ro- 
man citizen  in  battle,  slain  his  oppo- 
nent, and  maintained  the  ground  on 
which  the  action  took  place.  The 
testimony  of  a  third  person  was  not 
accepted ;  the  person  rescued  must 
himself  proclaim  the  fact,  which 
through  envy  he  was  often  unwilling 
to  do.  The  soldier  who  had  once 
won  the  crown  might  always  wear  it ; 
he  had  a  place  reserved  for  him  next 
the  senate  at  all  public  spectacles ; 
and  they,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the 
company,  arose  at  his  entrance.  He 
was  freed  from  all  public  burdens,  as 

were  his  father  and  paternal  grand-  CORONA  CIVICA. 

father.  Julius  Csesar  won  this  dis- 
tinction in  his  early  life,  at  the  siege  of  Mytilene,  80  B.C. 
honors,  this  was  voted  to  Augustus  by  the  senate  as  the  perpetual  pre- 
server of  the  citizens.  See  Virgil,  ^neid,  vi.  772  :  "  Atque  umbrata  ge- 
runt  civili  tempora  quercu." 

328.   Capua's  marble  halls.     See  on  267  above. 

367.  A  leech.  A  physician ;  from  the  A.  S.  laece,  which  means  the  same, 
and  is  connected  with  A.  S.  Idcnian,  to  heal.  See  Shakespeare,  T.  of  A. 
v.  4.84: 


Like  other 


VIRGINIA. 

"  make  each 
Prescribe  to  other  as  each  other's  leech ;" 


I79 


and  Spenser,  F.  Q.  Hi.  4.  43  :  "  For  Tryphon  of  sea  gods  the  soveraine 
leach  is  hight." 

383.    The  judgment-seat.     The  tribunal  where  Appius  was  sitting. 

385.  O  dwellers  in  the  nether  gloom.  The  gods  of  the  lower  world  and 
the  manes,  or  spirits  of  the  dead.  N^et/ier  —  lower  ;  ther  being  a  compara- 
tive suffix  added  to  ni,  downward.  Cf.  Shakespeare,  Lear,  iv.  2.  79 :  "  Our 
nether  crimes"  (committed  on  earth). 

409.  The  press.  The  crowd,  throng.  Cf.  Shakespeare,  J.  C.  i.  2.  15  : 
"  Who  is  it  in  the  press  that  calls  on  me  ?" 

419.  Porches.  Porticoes,  or  walks  covered  with  roofs  which  were  sup- 
ported by  columns.  They  were  either  attached  to  temples  and  other 
public  buildings,  or  built  independent  of  any  other  edifice.  They  were 
very  numerous  and  extensive  about  the  forum,  and  were  used  for  the 
transaction  of  business  and  as  lounging-places. 

426.  With  many  a  cypress  crown.  The  cypress  was  the  emblem  of 
mourning.  A  branch  of  it  was  placed  before  the  door  of  a  house  in  which 
a  dead  body  lay,  that  no  one  might  enter  and  be  polluted  unawares  by  the 
presence  of  death.  See  also  Virgil,  sEiieid,  vi.  216:  "et  feralis  ante  cu- 
pressos  Constituunt." 

433.  Crafts.  Occupations,  business.  Originally  craft  meant  skill,  abil- 
ity ;  it  is  from  the  A.  S.  craeft,  power.  Cf.  leech-craft,  238  above. 

437,  438.   The  voice  of  grief  and  fury,  etc.    The  reading  of  the  early  eds. 

"  Till  then  the  voice  of  pity 
And  fury  was  not  loud." 

447.  Sheaf  of  twigs.     That  is,  the  fasces. 

455.  The  Pincian  Hill.     Originally  called  Collis  Hortsrnm,  on  account 
of  the  gardens  which  covered  it.     Here  was  the  famous  villa  of  Lucullus. 
The  hill  got  its  name  of  Pincian  at  a  late  period  of  the  Empire,  when  the 
Pincian  family  built  a  magnificent  palace  upon  it.     This  palace  was  the 
residence  of  Belisarius  during  his  defence  of  Rome. 

456.  The  Latin  Gate.     This  gate  originally  stood  over  the  Latin  road 
(Via  Latino],  which  led  to  Tusculum  (Frascati).    It  is  was  walled  up  in  1808. 

463.  And  breakitig-iip  of  benches.  When  Tiberius  Gracchus  was  slain 
by  the  "mob  of  gentlemen,"  his  assailants  armed  themselves  in  this  way. 
The  benches  in  the  present  case  stood  around  the  tribunal  of  the  decemvir. 

487.  Potsherds.  Bits  of  pottery.  A  sherd  is  a  shred,  or  fragment.  It 
is  also  spelled  shard.  It  means  literally  "  a  broken  thing,"  from  the  A.  S. 
adj.  sceard,  broken.  For  the  uncompounded  word,  see  Hamlet,  v.  I.  254 : 
"  Shards,  flints,  and  pebbles  should  be  thrown  on  her." 

497.  Cui'nf  of  Corioli.     See  on  207  above. 

501.  Furitis.  M.  Furius  Camillus,  who  was  said  to  have  forced  the 
Gauls  to  leave  Rome,  after  their  capture  of  the  city  in  390  B.C.  ;  and  also 
to  have  taken  Veii  from  the  Etruscans. 

513.  A  Cossus.     See  on  Lake  Regillus,  419  above. 

515.  A  Fahius.     See  on  208  above. 

551.  When  raves  the  Adriatic.     The  navigation  of  the  Adriatic  was 


l8o  NOTES. 

much  dreaded,  on  account  of  the  frequent  and  sudden  storms  to  which  it 
was  subject.  Its  bad  character  in  this  respect  is  often  alluded  to  by 
Horace.  Cf.  Odes,  iii.  3.  5 :  "  Dux  inquieti  turbidus  Hadriae."  See  also 
Lake  Regillus,  27  and  647  fol.  above. 

553.  The  Calabrian  sea-marks.  For  Calabria,  see  on  Lake  Regillus,  294 
above.  The  sea-marks  are  light-houses  or  beacons.  Pliny  mentions  the 
light-houses  at  Ostia  and  Ravenna,  and  says  there  were  similar  towers  at 
many  other  places.  The  name  pharos  was  given  to  them  all  from  the 
celebrated  light-house  at  the  entrance  of  the  port  of  Alexandria,  which 
was  the  model  for  their  construction.  The  pharos  at  Bi  undisium  was 
like  that  at  Alexandria,  an  island  with  a  light-house  upon  it 

555.  The  great  Thunder-cape.  Acroceraunia,  a  very  rocky  promontory 
in  Epirus,  extending  into  the  Ionian  sea,  nearly  opposite  Brundisium, 
which  rendered  navigation  very  dangerous.  Cf.  Horace,  Odes,  i.  3.  20  : 
"  Infames  scopulos  Acroceraunia."  It  is  said  to  have  received  its  name 
on  account  of  the  many  thunder-storms  which  visited  it.  See  Byron, 
Childe  Harold,  iv.  73  : 

"And  in  Chimari  heard  the  thunder  hills  of  fear, 
Th'  Acroceraunian  mountains  of  old  name." 

564.  And  swayed  from  side  to  side.  Cf.  Virgil,  jEneid,  v.  469 :  "  lac- 
tantemque  utroque  caput." 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS. 

MACAULAY'S  introduction  to  the  poem  is  as  follows : 

"  It  can  hardly  be  necessary  to  remind  any  reader  that,  according  to 
the  popular  tradition,  Romulus,  after  he  had  slain  his  grand-uncle  Aniu- 
lius,  and  restored  his  grandfather  Numitor,  determined  to  quit  Alba,  the 
hereditary  domain  of  the  Sylvian  princes,  and  to  found  a  new  city.  The 
gods,  it  was  added,  vouchsafed  the  clearest  signs  of  the  favor  with  which 
they  regarded  the  enterprise,  and  of  the  high  destinies  reserved  for  the 
young  colony. 

"  This  event  was  likely  to  be  a  favorite  theme  of  the  old  Latin  minstrels. 
They  would  naturally  attribute  the  project  of  Romulus  to  some  divine  in- 
timation of  the  power  and  prosperity  which  it  was  decreed  that  his  city 
should  attain.  They  would  probably  introduce  seers  foretelling  the  vic- 
tories of  unborn  consuls  and  dictators,  and  the  last  great  victory  would 
generally  occupy  the  most  conspicuous  place  in  the  prediction.  There  is 
nothing  strange  in  the  supposition  that  the  poet  who  was  employed  to 
celebrate  the  first  great  triumph  of  the  Romans  over  the  Greeks  might, 
throw  his  song  of  exultation  into  this  form. 

"The  occasion  was  one  likely  to  excite  the  strongest  feelings  of  national 
pride.  A  great  outrage  had  been  followed  by  a  great  retribution.  Seven 
years  before  this  time,  Lucius  Posthumius  Megellus,  who  sprang  from  one 
of  the  noblest  houses -of  Rome,  and  had  been  thrice  consul,  was  sent  am- 
bassador to  Tarentum,  with  charge  to  demand  reparation  for  grievous  in- 
juries. The  Tarentines  gave  him  audience  in  their  theatre,  where  he  ad- 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  ,81 

dressed  them  in  such  Greek  as  he  could  command,  which,  we  may  well 
believe,  was  not  exactly  such  as  Cineas  would  have  spoken.  An  exquisite 
sense  of  the  ridiculous  belonged  to  the  Greek  character ;  and  closely  con- 
nected with  this  faculty  was  a  strong  propensity  to  flippancy  and  imperti- 
nence. When  Posthumius  placed  an  accent  wrong,  his  hearers  burst  into 
a  laugh.  When  he  remonstrated,  they  hooted  him,  and  called  him  bar- 
barian, and  at  length  hissed  him  off  the  stage  as  if  he  had  been  a  bad 
actor.  As  the  grave  Roman  retired,  a  buffoon  who,  from  his  constant 
drunkenness,  was  nicknamed  the  Pint-pot,  came  up  with  gestures  of  the 
grossest  indecency,  and  bespattered  the  senatorial  gown  with  filth.  Post- 
humius turned  round  to  the  multitude,  and  held  up  the  gown,  as  if  ap- 
pealing to  the  universal  law  of  nations.  The  sight  only  increased  the 
insolence  of  the  Tarentines.  They  clapped  their  hands,  and  set  up  a 
shout  of  laughter  which  shook  the  theatre.  'Men  of  Tarentum,1  said 
Posthumius,  'it  will  take  not  a  little  blood  to  wash  this  gown.'* 

"  Rome,  in  consequence  of  this  insult,  declared  war  against  the  Taren- 
tines. The  Tarentines  sought  for  allies  beyond  the  Ionian  Sea.  Pyrrhus, 
King  of  Epirus,  came  to  their  help  with  a  large  army ;  and,  for  the  first  time, 
the  two  great  nations  of  antiquity  were  fairly  matched  against  each  other. 

"The  fame  of  Greece  in  arms  as  well  as  in  arts  was  then  at  the  height 
Half  a  century  earlier,  the  career  of  Alexander  had  excited  the  admirar 
tion  and  terror  of  all  nations  from  the  Ganges  to  the  Pillars  of  Hercules. 
Royal  houses,  founded  by  Macedonian  captains,  still  reigned  at  Antioch 
and  Alexandria.  That  barbarian  warriors,  led  by  barbarian  chiefs,  should 
win  a  pitched  battle  against  Greek  valor,  guided  by  Greek  science,  seemed 
as  incredible  as  it  would  now  seem  that  the  Burmese  or  the  Siamese 
should,  in  the  open  plain,  put  to  flight  an  equal  number  of  the  best  Eng- 
glish  troops.  The  Tarentines  were  convinced  that  their  countrymen 
were  irresistible  in  war ;  and  this  conviction  had  emboldened  them  to 
treat  with  the  grossest  indignity  one  whom  they  regarded  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  an  inferior  race.  Of  the  Greek  generals  then  living,  Pyrrhus 
was  indisputably  the  first.  Among  the  troops  who  were  trained  in  the 
Greek  discipline  his  Epirotes  ranked  high.  His  expedition  to  Italy  was 
a  turning-point  in  the  history  of  the  world.  He  found  there  a  people 
who,  far  inferior  to  the  Athenians  and  Corinthians  in  the  fine  arts,  in  the 
speculative  sciences,  and  in  all  the  refinements  of  life,  were  the  best  sol- 
diers on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Their  arms,  their  gradations  of  rank,  their 
order  of  battle,  their  method  of  intrenchment,  were  all  of  Latin  origin,  and 
had  all  been  gradually  brought  near  to  perfection,  not  by  the  study  of 
foreign  models,  but  by  the  genius  and  experience  of  many  generations  of 
great  native  commanders.  The  first  words  which  broke  from  the  king, 
when  his  practised  eye  had  surveyed  the  Roman  encampment,  were  full 
of  meaning:  'These  barbarians.'  he  said,  'have  nothing  barbarous  in 
their  military  arrangements.'  He  svas  at  first  victorious ;  for  his  own 
talents  were  superior  to  those  of  the  captains  who  were  opposed  to  him  ; 
and  the  Romans  were  not  prepared  for  the  onset  of  the  elephants  of  the 
East,  which  were  then  for  the  first  time  seen  in  Italy — moving  moun- 

*  Dion.  Hal.,  De  Legationibus. 


182  NOTES. 

tains,  with  long  snakes  for  hands.*  But  the  victories  of  the  Epirotes 
were  fiercely  disputed,  dearly  purchased,  and  altogether  unprofitable. 
At  length,  Manius  Curius  Dentatus,  who  had  in  his  first  consulship 
won  two  triumphs,  was  again  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Roman  com- 
monwealth, and  sent  to  encounter  the  invaders.  A  great  battle  was 
fought  near  Beneventum.  Pyrrhus  was  completely  defeated.  He  re- 
passed  the  sea ;  and  the  world  learned  with  amazement  that  a  people  had 
been  discovered  who,  in  fair  fighting,  were  superior  to  the  best  troops 
that  had  been  drilled  on  the  system  of  Parmenio  and  Antigonus. 

"The  conquerors  had  a  good  right  to  exult  in  their  success  ;  for  their 
glory  was  all  their  own.  They  had  not  learned  from  their  enemy  how  to 
conquer  him.  It  was  with  their  own  national  arms,  and  in  their  own  na- 
tional battle-array,  that  they  had  overcome  weapons  and  tactics  long  be- 
lieved to  be  invincible.  The  pilum  and  the  broadsword  had  vanquished 
the  Macedonian  spear.  The  legion  had  broken  the  Macedonian  phalanx. 
Even  the  elephants,  when  the  surprise  produced  by  their  first  appearance 
was  over,  could  cause  no  disorder  in  the  steady  yet  flexible  battalions  of 
Rome. 

"  It  is  said  by  Florus,  and  may  easily  be  believed,  that  the  triumph  far 
surpassed  in  magnificence  any  that  Rome  had  previously  seen.  The  only 
spoils  which  Papirius  Cursor  and  Fabius  Maximus  could  exhibit  were 
flocks  and  herds,  wagons  of  rude  structure,  and  heaps  of  spears  and 
helmets.  But  now,  for  the  first  time,  the  riches  of  Asia  and  the  arts  of 
Greece  adorned  a  Roman  pageant.  Plate,  fine  stuffs,  costly  furniture, 
rare  animals,  exquisite  paintings  and  sculptures,  formed  part  of  the  pro- 
cession. At  the  banquet  would  be  assembled  a  crowd  of  warriors  and 
statesmen,  among  whom  Manius  Curius  Dentatus  would  take  the  highest 
room.  Caius  Fabricius  Luscinus,  then,  after  two  consulships  and  two 
triumphs,  Censor  of  the  Commonwealth,  would  doubtless  occupy  a  place 
of  honor  at  the  board.  In  situations  less  conspicuous  probably  lay  some 
of  those  who  were,  a  few  years  later,  the  terror  of  Carthage — Caius  Du- 
ilius,  the  founder  of  the  maritime  greatness  of  his  country  ;  Marcus  Atilius 
Regulus,  who  owed  to  defeat  a  renown  far  higher  than  that  which  he  had 
derived  from  his  victories ;  and  Caius  Lutatius  Catulus,  who,  while  suf- 
fering from  a  grievous  wound,  fought  the  great  battle  of  the  Agates,  and 
brought  the  first  Punic  war  to  a  triumphant  close.  It  is  impossible  to  re- 
count the  names  of  these  eminent  citizens  without  reflecting  that  they 
were  all,  without  exception,  plebeians,  and  would,  but  for  the  ever-mem- 
orable struggle  maintained  by  Caius  Licinius  and  Lucius  Sextius,  have 
been  doomed  to  hide  in  obscurity,  or  to  waste  in  civil  broils  the  capacity 
and  energy  which  prevailed  against  Pyrrhus  and  Hamilcar. 

"  On  such  a  day  we  may  suppose  that  the  patriotic  enthusiasm  of  a  Latin 
poet  would  vent  itself  in  reiterated  shouts  of  lo  triiimphe,  such  as  were 
uttered  by  Horace  on  a  far  less  exciting  occasion,  and  in  lx>asts  resem- 
bling those  which  Virgil  put  into  the  mouth  of  Anchises.  The  superior- 
ity of  some  foreign  nations,  and  especially  of  the  Greeks,  in  the  lazy  arts 
of  peace,  would  be  admitted  with  disdainful  candor;  but  pre-eminence  in 

*  Anguimanus  is  the  old  Latin  epithet  for  an  elephant  (Lucretius,  ii.  538,  v.  1302). 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  ^3 

all  the  qualities  which  fit  a  people  to  subdue  and  govern  mankind  would 
be  claimed  for  the  Romans. 

"The  following  lay  belongs  to  the  latest  age  of  Latin  ballad-poetry. 
Naevius  and  Livius  Andronicus  were  probably  among  the  children  whose 
mothers  held  them  up  to  see  the  chariot  of  Curius  go  by.  The  minstrel 
who  sang  on  that  day  might  possibly  have  lived  to  read  the  first  hexame- 
ters of  Ennius,  and  to  see  the  first  comedies  of  Plautus.  His  poem,  as 
might  be  expected,  shows  a  much  wider  acquaintance  with  the  geography, 
manners,  and  productions  of  remote  nations  than  would  have  been  found 
in  compositions  of  the  age  of  Camillus.  But  he  troubles  himself  little 
about  dates,  and,  having  heard  travellers  talk  with  admiration  of  the  Co- 
lossus of  Rhodes,  and  of  the  structures  and  gardens  with  which  the  Mace- 
donian kings  of  Syria  had  embellished  their  residence  on  the  banks  of 
the  Orontes,  he  has  never  thought  of  inquiring  whether  these  things 
existed  in  the  age  of  Romulus." 

Professor  Wilson,  in  Blackwooii(%zz  on  Horatins,  482  above),  remarks  : 
"  Perhaps  the  Prophecy  ofCapys  is  the  loftiest  lay  of  the  four.  The  child 
of  Mars,  and  foster-son  of  the  she-wolf,  is  wonderfully  well  exhibited 
throughout  in  his  hereditary  qualities ;  and  grandly  in  the  Triumph, 
where  the  exultation  breaks  through  that  all  this  gold  and  silver  is  sub- 
servient to  the  Roman  steel — all  the  skill  and  craft  of  refinement  and 
ingenuity  must  obey  the  voice  of  Roman  valor.  There  are  many  such 
things  scattered  up  and  down  Horace's  Odes ;  but  we  can  scarcely  re- 
member any  that  are  more  spirited,  more  racy,  or  more  characteristic 
than  these  Lays  ;  and  perhaps  the  nobility  of  the  early  Roman  character 
is  as  fondly  admired  and  as  fitly  appreciated  by  an  English  freeman  as  by 
a  courtier  of  the  reign  of  Augustus." 

1.  King  Amulhts.     According  to  the  legend,  he  was  the  younger  son 
of  Procas,  King  of  Alba  Longa,  and  deposed  his  brother  Numitor.     He 
allowed  Numitor  to  live  in  retirement,  but  killed  his  only  son  and  made 
his  daughter  Rhea  Silvia  a  vestal   virgin.     By  Mars  she  became  the 
mother  of  twins,  Romulus  and  Remus.    Amulius  ordered  the  mother  and 
her  babes  to  be  drowned.     Silvia  became  a  goddess,  and  Romulus  and 
Remus,  who  had  been  set  adrift  in  a  cradle,  floated  into  the  Tiber.     A 
she-wolf  took  the  children  to  her  den  and  suckled  them  until  they  were 
discovered  by  Faustulus,  a  shepherd,  who  took  the  boys  home,  and  gave 
them  to  his  wife,  Acca  Laurentia,  to  bring  up.     When  they  grew  up  they 
restored  Numitor  to  the  throne  and  killed  Amulius. 

2.  Of  the  great  Sylvian  line.     The  line  of  kings  descended  from  Asca- 
nius.    Silvius,  the  son  of  Ascanius,  is  said  to  have  been  so  called  because 
he  was  born  in  the  woods.     All  the  succeeding  kings  of  Alba  bore  the 
cognomen  of  Silvius.    According  to  Virgil,  Silvius  was  the  son  of  ./Eneas. 
See  ^Endil,  vi.  763  : 

"  Silvius,  Albanum  nomen,  tua  postuma  proles, 
Quern  tibi  longaevo  serum  Lavinia  coniunx 
Kdncet  silvis  regem  regumque  parentem. 
Unde  genus  Longa  nostrum  dominabitur  Alba." 

3.  Alba  Longa.     A  city  of  Latium,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Lake  Alba- 


184 


NOTES. 


nus  and  the  northern  slope  of  the  Alban  Mount.  It  was  destroyed  at  a 
very  early  period,  and  most  of  its  history  is  fabulous  or  poetical.  Ac- 
cording to  the  legends,  Alba  was  founded  by  Ascanius,  the  son  of  ^Eneas, 
thirty  years  after  the  founding  of  Lavinium.  The  names  of  a  series  of 
mythical  kings  are  given,  and  it  may  possibly  be  admitted  that  a  Silvian 
family  was  the  reigning  house  at  Alba.  The  city  is  said  to  have  been  de- 
stroyed by  Tullus  Hostilius  as  a  punishment  for  the  treachery  of  its  gen- 
eral, Metius  Fufetius. 

4,  On  the  throne  of  Aventine.    Aventinus  was  one  of  the  mythical  kings 
of  Alba,  and  grandfather  of  Amulius.     He  is  said  to  have  reigned  thirty- 
seven  years. 

5.  Gamers.    Two  mythical  personages  in  the  ^EneiJ  bear  this  name. 
9.  Alba's  lake.     Now  called  Lago  di  Albano  ;  a  remarkable  lake  at  the 

foot  of  the  Alban  Mount,  twenty  miles  from  Rome.     It  is  of  oval  form, 


LAKE  OF  ALBA. 


about  six  miles  in  circumference,  and  has  no  natural  outlet,  being  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  steep  precipitous  banks  of  volcanic  tufa,  some 
of  which  rise  to  a  height  of  two  or  three  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  lake.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano.  It  is  918 
feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  its  waters  are  of  great  depth.  In  379  B..C., 
according  to  Livy  and  Dionysius,  the  Romans  built  a  tunnel  to  carry  off 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  ^5 

the  superfluous  waters  of  the  lake  at  the  time  of  a  great  flood.  The 
legend  connects  the  tunnel  with  the  siege  of  Veii.  This  remarkable  work 
still  continues  to  serve  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  constructed.  It  is 
4^  feet  wide  and  6£  feet  high  at  its  entrance.  Its  height,  however,  dimin- 
ishes rapidly  to  not  over  two  feet,  and  it  is  impossible  to  penetrate  more 
than  130  feet  from  the  entrance.  The  entrance  from  the  lake  is  through 
a  flat  archway,  constructed  of  large  blocks  of  peperino,  with  a  kind  of 
court  or  triangular  space  enclosed  by  massive  masonry,  and  with  a  second 
archway  over  the  actual  opening  of  the  tunnel.  The  opposite  end  of  the 
tunnel  is  at  a  place  called  le  Mole  near  Castel  Savelli,  about  a  mile  from 
Albano,  where  the  waters  that  issue  from  it  form  a  considerable  stream, 
now  known  as  the  Rivo  Albano,  'which  after  fifteen  miles  joins  the  Tiber. 
The  whole  work  is  cut  with  the  chisel,  and  is  computed  to  have  required 
a  period  of  not  less  than  ten  years  for  its  completion. 

n.  Alto's  oaks.  The  oaks  on  the  Alban  Mount,  an  isolated  group  of 
hills,  now  called  Monti  Albani,  nearly  forty  miles  in  circumference.  The 
Mons  Albanus  of  the  ancients  (now  Monte  Cavo)  is  the  highest  peak,  ris- 
ing about  3100  feet  above  the  sea-level.  On  the  top  of  this  mountain 
stood  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Latiaris  (cf.  Lucan,  Pharsalia,  i.  198 :  "  Et 
residens  celsa  Latiaris  luppiter  Alba"),  the  religious  centre  and  place  of 
worship  of  Latium  before  the  Roman  domination.  Here  too  triumphs 
were  celebrated  by  Roman  generals  who  had  failed  to  secure  from  the 
senate  the  honors  of  a  regular  triumph  at  Rome.  Five  instances  of  this 
kind  of  triumph  are  recorded,  of  which  the  most  illustrious  was  that  of 
Marcellus,  after  his  capture  of  Syracuse  in  212  B.C.  The  remains  of  the 
temple  on  the  summit  were  destroyed  in  1788,  when  the  present  convent 
was  built ;  but  the  great  lava  blocks  of  the  Via  Triumphalis  leading  up 
to  it,  with  the  marks  of  chariot-wheels  on  them,  remain  entire  in  some 
places.  Virgil  (/Eneid,  xii.  134  fol!)  represents  Juno  as  standing  on  this 
height  to  survey  the  country,  just  as  tourists  do  nowadays. 

20.  A  poplar  crown.  The  poplar  was  sacred  to  Hercules.  Cf.  JEneid, 
v.  134 :  "  Cetera  populea  velatur  fronde  juventus.'' 

71.  Holy  fillets.  The  fillet  (vittd)  was  made  of  red  and  white  wool,  which 
was  slightly  twisted,  drawn  into  the  form  of  a  wreath,  and  used  by  the 
Romans  for  ornament  on  solemn  and  sacred  occasions.  It  was  tied  to 
the  heads  of  priests  by  a  white  ribbon. 

93.  Capys.     One  of  the  kings  of  Alba  bore  this  name. 

94.  The  sightless  seer.    Another  instance  of  a  blind  prophet  is  Teiresias, 
who  plays  so  prominent  a  part  in  the  mythical  history  of  Greece,  particu- 
larly in  the  story  of  O2dipus. 

95.  He  trembled,  etc.     The  effect  of  divine  inspiration.     Cf.  Virgil, 
sEtiet'J,  vi.  46 : 

"Cui  talia  fanti 

Ante  fores  subito  non  voltus,  non  color  unus, 
Non  comptae  mansere  comae ;  sed  pectus  anhelum, 
Et  rabie  fera  corda  tument :  maiorque  videri 
Nee  mortale  sonans,  adflata  est  numine  quando 
lam  propiore  dei." 

See  also  Shakespeare,  Tempest,  ii.  2.  72:  "Thou  dost  me  yet  but  little 
hurt ;  thou  wilt  anon,  I  know  it  by  thy  trembling :  now  Prosper  works 


186  NOTES. 

upon  thee ;"  where  Caliban  mistakes  the  boozy  shakiness  of  the  sailor 
for  the  magic  influence  of  Prospero  working  on  him. 

105.  Garner.     A  granary,  of  which  word  it  is  a  doublet.      Both  are 
derived  from  the  Latin  granarium.     See  Shakespeare,  Coriolanus,  i.  i. 
244 :  "  Take  these  rats  thither  To  gnaw  their  garners." 

106.  Our  vines  clasp  many  a  tree.     See  on  Lake  Kegillus,  308  above, 
no.  7Vie  7'artessian  mine.     Tartessus  was  a  district  in  the  south  of 

Spain,  to  the  west  of  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.  It  is  identified  with  the 
Tarshish  of  Scripture,  where  it  is  represented  as  a  celebrated  emporium, 
rich  in  iron,  tin,  lead,  silver,  and  other  commodities.  It  was  destroyed 
at  an  early  date,  probably  by  Hamilcar,  the  Carthaginian  general.  See 
on  Virginia,  268  above. 

III.  For  thee  no  ship,  etc.  This  apparently  refers  to  the  importation 
of  rich  fabrics  as  luxuries  (as  the  context  implies),  not  to  commerce  in 
general.  The  Romans  made  a  commercial  treaty  with  Carthage  in  the 
first  year  of  the  Republic. 

115.  Arabia  shall  not  steep  thy  locks.     Arabia,  as  the  name  itself  im- 
plies, was  rich  in  aromatic  plants.     Frankincense  and  other  perfumes 
were  imported  thence.     The  ancients  used  many  fragrant  and  costly  oils 
for  perfuming  the  hair  and  skin,  though  these  luxuries  did  not  become 
common  at  Rome  until  towards  the  end  of  the  republic.     Their  use  was 
common  with  Eastern  nations.     See  Virgil,  ^neid,  iv.  215  : 

"  Et  nunc  ille  Paris  cum  semiviro  comitatu, 
Maeonia  mentum  mitra  crinemque  madentem 
Subnixus,  rapio  poiitur." 

1 16.  Nor  Sidon  tinge  thy  gown.     A  reference  to  the  celebrated  Tyrian 
purple.     Tyre  and  Sidon  were  often  confounded,  as  in  the  sEncid,  where 
Dido  is  called  Sidonian,  but  is  said  to  have  come  from  Tyre. 

117.  Myrrh.     A  bitter,  aromatic  gum.     The  Latin  word  myrrha  and 
the  Greek  pvppa,  from  which  we  derive  the  English  myrrh,  come  from 
the  Arabian  murr,  bitter. 

121.  Lucre.     Gain,  profit  (Latin  liicrum\ 

149.  Pomona.     The  Roman  divinity  of  the  fruit  of  trees,  hence  called 
Pomortim  Patrona.    Her  name  is  evidently  connected  with  pontttm.    Her 
worship  must  originally  have  been  of  considerable  importance,  as  a  spe- 
cial priest,  flamen  Pomonalis,  was  appointed  to  attend  to  her  service. 

150.  Liber.     A  name  frequently  applied  by  the  Roman  poets  to  the 
Greek  Bacchus  or  Dionysus,  who  was  accordingly  regarded  as  identical 
with  the  Roman  Liber.     Cicero,  however,  correctly  distinguishes  between 
Dionysus  and  Liber,  who  was  worshipped  by  the  early  Italians  in  con- 
junction with  Ceres  and  Libera.     Liber  and  Libera  were  ancient  Italian 
divinities,  presiding  over  the  cultivation  of  the  vine  and  the  fertility  of  the 
fields.    The  festival  of  the  Liberalia  was  celebrated  annually  by  the  Ro- 
mans on  the  1 7th  of  March. 

151.  Pales.     A  Roman  divinity  of  flocks  and  shepherds,  described  by 
some  as  a  male,  by  others  as  a  female  deity.    In  spite  of  some  indications 
to  the  contrary,  Pales  was  probably  masculine.  The  name  seems  to  be  con- 
nected with  Palatinus,  the  centre  of  all  the  earliest  legends  of  Rome,  and 
Pales  himself  was  with  the  Romans  the  embodiment  of  the  same  ideas  as 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  187 

Pan  among  the  Greeks.  The  Falilia  were  celebrated  on  the  anniversary 
of  the  foundation  of  the  city,  April  21. 

153.  Venus.  The  goddess  of  love  among  the  Romans.  Previous  to 
her  identification  with  the  Greek  Aphrodite,  she  was  one  of  the  least  im- 
portant divinities  in  the  religion  of  the  Romans,  and  it  is  observed  by  the 
Romans  themselves  that  her  name  was  not  mentioned  in  any  of  the  docu- 
ments relating  to  the  kingly  period  of  Roman  history. 

155.  Ivory.  Less  trite  than  silvery  as  an  epithet,  and  expressive, 
though  some  have  found  fault  with  it. 

169.  The  soft  Camfanian.  The  Campanians  were  notorious  for  their 
luxurious  habits.  See  on  Luke  A'egil/ns,  568  above. 

173.  Leave  to  the  sons  of  Cartilage,  etc.  Here  the  reference  must  be  to 
navigation  for  merely  commercial  purposes.  See  on  in  above. 

176.  And  scrolls  of  wordy  lore.     The  books  of  the  ancients  were  com- 
monly written  on  leaves  of  papyrus,  which  were  joined  together  so  as  to 
form  one  sheet.     When  the  work  was  finished,  it  was  rolled  on  a  staff, 
whence  it  was  called  vo.'nmen  (our  volume),  from  volvo,  to  roll.    Lore=- 
learning ;  and  from  the  same  root  as  that  word. 

On  this  whole  passage,  cf.  s£neii/,  vi.  847 . 

"  Excudent  alii  spirantia  mollius  aera, 
Credo  equidem,  vivos  ducent  de  marmore  voltus, 
Orabunt  canssas  melius,  caelique  meatus 
Describent  radio  et  surgentia  sidera  dicent : 
Tu  regere  imperio  populos,  Romane,  memento; 
Hae  tibi  erant  artes,  pacisque  imponere  morem, 
Parcere  subiectis  et  debellare  superbos." 

177.  The  filnm.     A  thick  strong  javelin  carried  by  the  Roman  legion- 
ary soldiers.    Its  shaft,  often  of  cornel  wood,  was  four  and  a  half  feet  long, 
and  the  barbed  iron  head,  which  was  fastened  to  it  with  great  care,  was 
of  the  same  length,  but  extended  half-way  down  the  shaft,  so  that  the 
whole  length  of  the  weapon  was  about  six  feet  nine  inches.    Each  soldier 
carried  two  pila. 

178.  The  sword.     The  Roman  sword  was  short  and  heavy.     It  had  a 
blade  about  two  feet  long  and  several  inches  wide.    It  was  pointed  and  two- 
edged,  and  was  thus  adapted  either  for  cutting  or  thrusting.    Cf.  221  below. 

179.  The  mound.    The  mound,  or  agger,  was  used  in  attacking  fortified 
plnces.     It  consisted  of  earth  and  turf  supported  by  a  wooden  framework. 
It  was  begun  at  a  distance  and  built  with  an  easy  slope  to  the  height  of 
I  he  wall.     After  it  had  been  pushed  as  near  the  wall  as  practicable,  the 
intervening  space  was  hastily  filled,  and  the   besiegers  rushed  over  it 
into  the  town. 

180.  The  legion's  ordered  line.     The  legion  was  the  unit  of  the  Roman 
army.     It  contained  infantry,  cavalry,  and,  where  military  engines  were 
extensively  used,  artillery  also.     Originally,  as  formed  by  Romulus,  the 
legion  contained  3000  infantry  (1000  from  each  of  the  three  tribes)  and  300 
cavalry.     The  number  of  foot-soldiers  was  gradually  increased  to  about 
6000.     The  legion  was  divided  into  ten  cohorts,  and  each  cohort  into 
three  maniples.     The  officers  were  six  military  tribunes  and  two  centu- 
rions to  each  maniple.  It  consisted  at  first  only  of  Roman  citizens.  Marius 


i88 


NOTES. 


was  the  first  to  admit  all  classes  of  citi- 
zens. The  number  of  the  cavalry  re- 
mained unchanged.  At  first  it  consisted 
of  eqnites  equo  publico  (see  on  Lake  Re- 
gillns,  3  above),  but  in  Caesar's  time  it 
was  composed  entirely  of  auxiliaries.  It 
was  divided  into  ten  decuriae,  each  com- 
manded by  a  decurion.  The  entire  force 
was  commanded  by  ^praefectnsequitum. 

1 8 1.  And  thine  the  wheels  of  triumph. 
The  triumph  was  a  solemn  procession 
in  which  a  victorious  general  entered 
the  city  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  four 
horses.  He  was  preceded  by  the  cap- 
tives and  spoils  taken  in  war,  and  was 
followed  by  his  troops.  After  passing 
in  state  along  the  Via  Sacra  (see  on 
Virginia,  69  above)  he  ascended  to  the 
Capitol  to  offer  sacrifice  in  the  temple 
of  Jupiter. 

When  a  decisive  battle  had  been  won 
or  a  province  subdued.the  imperator  for- 
warded to  the  senate  a  laurel- wreathed 
dispatch.  If  the  news  was  satisfactory, 
the  senate  decreed  a  public  thanksgiv- 
ing. After  the  war  was  over,  the  gen- 
eral returned  to  Rome,  but  did  not  en- 
ter the  city.  A  meeting  of  the  senate 
was  held  outside  the  walls,  usually  in 
the  temple  of  Bellona,  that  he  might 
urge  his  claim  in  person.  Only  a  dictator,  consul,  or  praetor  could  tri- 
umph ;  at  least  5000  of  the  enemy  must  have  been  slain  in  battle ;  the 
advantage  must  have  been  a  positive  one,  and  the  loss  of  the  Romans 
small  compared  with  that  of  the  enemy.  Moreover  it  must  have  been  a 
legitimate  contest  against  public  foes,  and  not  a  civil  war.  There  were 
also  other  minor  conditions  which  were  carefully  insisted  on. 

As  the  procession  ascended  the  Capitoline  hill,  some  of  the  hostile 
chiefs  were  led  aside  into  the  adjoining  prison  and  put  to  death.  The 
victorious  general  wore  a  purple  toga  richly  embroidered  (toga  picta)  and 
a  tunic  adorned  with  figures  worked  in  gold  (tunica  paimata),  carried  in 
his  hand  an  ivory  sceptre  with  an  eagle,  the  sacred  bird  of  Jupiter,  at  the 
top,  and  wore  a  chaplet  of  bay  leaves. 

186.  Vail.  Lower,  abase  ;  contracted  from  the  obsolete  avail  or  avale, 
the  French  avaler  (from  Latin  ad  vallem).  Cf.  Hamlet,  i.  2.  70 : 

"  Do  not  forever  with  thy  vailed  lids 
Seek  for  thy  noble  father  in  the  dust ;" 

Measure  for  Measure,  v.  i.  20  : 

"Justice,  O  royal  duke!     Vail  your  regard 
Upon  a  wronged,  I  would  fain  have  said,  a  maid!" 


ROMAN    SOLDIER   WITH    PILf M. 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS.  189 

Marmion,  iii.  234  : 

"  And  proudest  princes  vail  their  eyes 
Before  their  meanest  slave,"  etc. 

Editors  and  printers  often  confound  this  obsolete  vail  with  veil,  especially 
when  it  is  used  with  reference  to  the  eyes. 

187.  Capua's  curled  revellers.     See  on  Lake  Regillus,  568  above. 

189.  The  Lucumoes  of  Arnus.  That  is,  the  Etruscan  nobles.  See 
on  Horatins,  185  above. 

igi.  The  proud  Samnites.  The  Samnites  were  a  hardy  and  brave  race 
of  mountaineers,  dwelling  in  central  Italy.  They  came  into  conflict  with 
the  Romans  in  343  B.C.  and  waged  three  wars  with  them  (343-341,  326- 
304,  298-290),  which  ended  in  their  complete  defeat,  although  in  the  sec- 
ond or  great  Samnite  war  they  inflicted  on  the  Romans  the  memorable 
defeat  and  humiliation  of  the  Caudine  Forks  in  321.  The  struggle  of 
Rome  with  the  Samnites  as  a  nation  ended  with  the  third  Samnite  war, 
but  the  Samnites  fought  with  Pyrrhus  and  the  Tarentines  against  Rome, 
and  with  their  allies  were  reduced  to  complete  submission  in  272  B.C. 
During  the  Second  Punic  War  most  of  the  Samnites  declared  in  favor  of 
Hannibal,  and  in  the  Social  War  (90  B.C.)  they  took  a  prominent  part. 
They  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Marian  party  against  Sulla,  and  the  bat- 
tle at  the  Colline  Gate  (82  B.C.),  in  which  they  were  defeated  by  Sulla 
after  a  desperate  struggle,  was  long  remembered  as  one  of  the  greatest 
dangers  to  which  Rome  had  ever  been  exposed.  Sulla  put  to  death  8000 
prisoners  taken  in  this  battle,  and  carried  fire  and  sword  through  Sam- 
nium,  with  the  express  purpose  of  extirpating  the  whole  race.  We  learn 
from  Strabo  that  more  than  a  century  later  the  province  was  in  a  state 
of  the  utmost  desolation. 

195.  His  fair-haired  armies.  See  on  Horatins,  36  above.  The  "  fair- 
haired  Gauls"  were  persistent  and  dangerous  enemies  of  Rome.  After 
their  capture  of  the  city  in  390  B.C.,  the  tide  slowly  turned  in  favor  of  the 
Romans.  In  296  B.C.  the  Gauls,  Etruscans,  Umbrians,  and  Samnites 
were  defeated  by  the  Romans  at  Sentinum :  and  three  years  before  the 
invasion  of  Pyrrhus  the  Etruscans  and  the  Boii  were  defeated  with  terri- 
ble slaughter  at  Lake  Vadimon  in  Etruria,  and  again  the  year  after.  For 
forty-five  years  after  these  battles  the  Romans  were  unmolested  by  the 
Gauls,  and  were  enabled  to  give  their  undivided  attention  to  their  strug- 
gle with  Pyrrhus  and  to  the  first  war  with  Carthage. 

197.   The  Greek  shall  come  against  thee,  etc.     Pyrrhus,  King  of  Epirus. 
For  the  causes  of  the  war  with  Pyrrhus  and  its  result  see  the  Introduc- . 
tion.     In  The  conqueror  of  the  East,  the  reference  is  to  the  conquests  of 
Alexander  the  Great,  to  whose  family  Pyrrhus  was  related. 

200.  The  huge  earth-shaking  beast.  The  reference  is  of  course  to  the 
elephant  (see  p.  182  above),  which  the  Romans  first  encountered  in  their 
struggle  with  Pyrrhus.  The  early  victories  of  Pyrrhus  (at  Heraclea  and 
Asculum)  were  largely  due  to  the  terror  which  they  inspired  in  the  Ro- 
mans. 

205.  The  Epirotes.  The  followers  of  Pyrrhus  from  Epirus,  the  region 
west  of  Thessaly  in  Northern  Greece.  Pyrrhus  brought  over  a  well -dis- 
ciplined force  of  nearly  30,000  Epirotes.  The  brunt  of  the  battles  of 


190 


NOTES. 


COIN   OF   PYKRHUS   WITH    HEAD   OF   UODONEAN   ZEUS. 

Heraclea  and  Asculum,  where  Pyrrhus  lost  many  men,  fell  upon  them, 
and  their  numbers  were  still  further  reduced  by  his  expedition  to  Sicily. 
Hardly  a  third  of  the  original  force  fought  in  the  final  battle  of  Bene- 
ventum. 

207.   Taretttum.     See  on  Lake  Regillns,  605  above. 

222.  The  thick  array,  etc.  The  reference  is  to  the  Macedonian  pha- 
lanx, invented  by  Philip,  father  of  Alexander  the  Great,  to  which  the 
Roman  legion  showed  itself  decidedly  superior  at  Cynoscephalae  (197  B.C.), 
on  account  of  its  greater  activity. 

230.  The  Red  King.  The  Greek  word  wppog,  from  which  the  name 
Pyrrhus  is  derived,  means  red,  or  flame-colored. 

232.  Is  not  the  gown  washed  white?  The  reference  is  to  the  insult  of- 
fered to  the  Roman  envoy  by  a  drunken  Tarentine,  for  an  account  of  which 
see  p.  181  above. 

242.  And  goblets  rough  with  gold.  Cf.  Virgil,  ALneiJ,  v.  267 :  "  Cymbia- 
que  argento  perfecta  atque  aspera  signis." 

245.  The  stone  that  breathes  and  struggles^  etc.  See  quotation  from 
sEneid  in  note  on  176  above. 

247.  Cunning.     In  the  old  sense  of  art  or  skill.     Cf.  Psalms,  cxxxvii.  5. 

249.  Manius  Curius.  M.  Curius  Dentatus  is  said  to  have  derived  his 
surname  from  the  circumstance  that  he  was  born  with  teeth.  He  was  a 
plebeian  of  Sabine  origin,  and  first  distinguished  himself  when  tribune 
by  opposing  Appius  Claudius  Caecus,  who,  while  presiding  at  the  consu- 
lar elections,  refused  to  accept  any  votes  for  a  plebeian  candidate.  Cu- 
rius compelled  the  senate  to  pass  a  decree  by  which  any  legal  election 
was  sanctioned  beforehand.  In  290  B.C.  he  and  his  fellow-consul  P.  Cor- 
nelius Rufinus  brought  the  Samnite  war  to  a  close  and  celebrated  a  tri- 
umph. His  second  triumph  was  over  the  Sabines,  who  had  revolted 
from  Rome.  In  275  B.C.,  when  consul  for  the  second  time,  he  defeated 
Pyrrhus  at  Beneventum  in  Samnium,  and  celebrated  his  third  triumph, 
the  most  magnificent  that  Rome  had  yet  witnessed.  It  was  adorned  by 
four  elephants,  the  first  that  had  been  seen  at  Rome.  The  next  year  he 
was  again  appointed  consul,  and  defeated  the  Lucanians,  Samnites,  and 
Bruttians.  He  then  retired  to  private  life,  and  lived  with  great  simplicity 
on  his  Sabine  farm.  In  272  B.C.  he  was  made  censor,  when  he  built  an 


THE    PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS. 


191 


BENEVENTUM    IN   SAMNIUM. 

aqueduct  which  brought  water  into  the  city  from  the  river  Anio.  He  was 
celebrated  down  to  the  latest  times  as  one  of  the  noblest  specimens  of  an- 
cient Roman  simplicity  and  frugality,  as  well  as  for  the  useful  works  he 
constructed.  At  the  town  of  Reate,  in  the  country  of  the  Sabines,  he  cut 
a  canal  from  Lake  Velinus  through  the  rocks,  and  thus  carried  its  waters 
to  a  place  where  they  fall  from  a  height  of  140  feet  into  the  Nar  (Nero). 
This  fall  is  still  celebrated  as  that  of  Terni,  or  the  Cascade  delle  Marmore. 
See  Byron,  Childe  Harold,  iv.  69 : 

"  The  roar  of  waters  ! — from  the  headlong  height 
Velino  cleaves  the  wave-worn  precipice ; 
The  fall  of  waters !   rapid  as  the  light 
The  flashing  mass  foams  shaking  the  abyss,"  etc. 

By  this  work  the  inhabitants  of  Reate  obtained  a  considerable  tract  of 
arable  land  called  Rosen  (cf.  257  below). 

254.  The  third  embroidered  gown.  The  toga  picta  (see  on  181  above) 
worn  in  triumphs  by  the  general. 

259.  Mevaniti.  A  considerable  city  of  Umbria,  on  the  Flaminian  Way. 
It  was  situated  on  the  river  Tinia  in  a  broad  and  fertile  valley  eight  or 
ten  miles  in  width,  watered  by  the  Clitumnus  and  Tinia.  It  was  cele- 
brated for  a  breed  of  white  oxen,  the  only  ones  thought  worthy  to  be 
sacrificed  at  triumphs  (see  on  Horadus,  46  above).  Pliny  mentions  Me- 
vania  as  one  of  the  few  cities  in  Italy  that  had  walls  of  brick.  The  mod- 
ern city,  Bevagna,  is  a  very  poor  and  decayed  place  with  little  more  than 
2000  inhabitants,  though  retaining  its  episcopal  see  and  the  title  of  a  city. 
It  contains  some  remains  of  an  amphitheatre  and  mosaic  pavements  be- 
longing to  the  ancient  baths. 

266.  The  Suppliants'  Grove.  The  Asylum  of  Romulus.  See  on  Lake 
Regilhis,  721  above.  The  exact  position  of  the  Asylum  is  disputed,  but 


I92  NOTES. 

from  Livy's  words,  "  Locum,  qui  nunc  septus  descendentibus  inter  duos 
lucos  est,  asylum  aperuit,"  it  would  seem  to  have  been  situated  under 
the  northeast  summit  of  the  Capitoline  hill,  between  the  career  and  the 
temple  of  Concord  and  behind  the  arch  of  Severus.  It  was  near  the  Asy- 
lum that  the  fire  broke  out  which  destroyed  the  Capitol.  See  Virgil,  ^Eneid, 
viii.  342 : 

"Hinc  lucum  ingentem,  quern  Romulus  acer  Asylum 
Rettulit." 

268.  Capitolian  Jffve.     The  temple  of  Jupiter,  Mars,  and  Minerva  on 
the  Capitoline  hill.     It  was  planned  by  the  elder  Tarquin,  and  finished 
by  Tarquinius  Superbus.     It  was  200  feet  broad  and  but  fifteen  feet 
longer.    Its  front  had  three  rows  of  columns,  with  two  rows  on  the  sides  ; 
the  back  apparently  had  a  plain  wall.    The  interior  contained  three  cells 
(cfllae)  parallel  to  one  another  and  with  common  walls,  the  one  in  the  cen- 
tre being  Jupiter's.      Its  name  Cafiitolhtm,  according  to  a  well-known 
legend,  was  due  to  the  finding  of  a  human  head  when  digging  the  foun- 
dations. 

The  image  of  the  god  was  originally  of  clay.  The  face  was  painted 
vermilion,  and  the  statue  was  probably  clad  in  the  toga  pictn  and  the 
tunica  palmata  (see  on  181  above).  On  the  acroterium,  or  apex,  of  the 
pediment  stood  a  quadriga  of  earthenware,  whose  portentous  swelling  in 
the  furnace  was  regarded  as  an  omen  of  Rome's  future  greatness. 

After  the  Capitol  was  burned  in  83  B.C.  its  restoration  was  undertaken 
by  Sulla  and  afterwards  confided  to  Q.  Lutatius  Catulus.  In  69  B.C.  it 
was  destroyed  by  the  Vitellians  and  restored  by  Vespasian  on  the  original 
plan,  except  for  a  slight  increase  in  height.  It  was  again  destroyed,  soon 
after  Vespasian's  death,  in  a  great  fire,  and  was  rebuilt  by  Domitian  with 
a  splendor  before  unequalled.  This  building  lasted  until  a  late  period  of 
the  Empire,  although  nothing  further  is  accurately  known  of  its  history. 

269.  Where  over  two  bright  havens,  etc.     Corinth  was  situated  on  the 
isthmus  connecting  Central  Greece  with  the  Peloponnesus.     Its  citadel 
was  a  lofty  rock  called  the  Acrocorinthns.    Standing  on  a  narrow  isthmus 
between  two  important  seas  at  a  time  when  all  navigation  was  performed 
by  coasting  vessels,  Corinth  naturally  became  a  great  maritime  power 
and  a  rich  and  prosperous  city.    Horace  (Odes,  i.  7.  2)  speaks  of  "  bimaris 
Corinthi  moenia."    Cicero  (de  Lege  Manil.  5.  1 1)  calls  it  "  totius  Graeciae 
lumen." 

When  the  Achaean  League  entered  into  war  with  Rome,  Corinth  was 
its  capital,  and  it  was  here  that  the  Roman  envoys  were  insulted.  The 
city  was  taken  by  L.  Mummius  in  146  B.C.  and  was  completely  destroyed. 
All  the  male  inhabitants  were  slain,  and  the  women  and  children  sold  into 
slavery.  The  most  valuable  works  of  art  were  carried  to  Rome.  Mum- 
mius had  so  little  appreciation  of  their  worth  as  to  stipulate  with  those 
who  transported  them  that  if  any  were  lost  they  should  be  replaced  by 
others  equally  good.  Corinth  was  rebuilt  by  a  colony  sent  by  Julius 
Caesar  in  46  B.C.,  and  again  became  a  flourishing  city. 

271.  Where  the  gigantic  King  of  Day,  etc.  Rhodes  was  one  of  the  chief 
islands  of  the  ^Egaean,  situated  in  the  Carpathian  Sea  about  ten  miles 
from  the  coast  of  Caria.  Pliny  says  that  it  is  125  Roman  miles  in  cir- 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  CAPYS. 


193 


CORINTH. 


cumferencc.  All  its  towns  were  on  the  coast.  Its  name  is  supposed  to 
be  derived  from  poSov,  a  rose ;  and  the  rose  appears  as  a  symbol  on  the 
coins  of  the  island.  Its  situation  favored  extensive  commerce,  and  dur- 
ing the  best  period  of  their  history  the  Rhodians  enjoyed  great  prosperity. 
According  to  Strabo,  Rhodes  surpassed  all  other  cities  in  the  beauty  and 
convenience  of  its  ports,  streets,  walls,  and  public  edifices,  all  of  which 
were  adorned  with  many  works  of  art.  The  bronze  statue  of  Helios 
here  referred  to,  the  famous  Colossus  of  Rhodes,  was  one  of  the  Seven 
Wonders  of  the  ancient  world.  It  was  the  work  of  Chares  of  Lindos, 
who  spent  twelve  years  in  its  execution.  It  cost  300  talents,  and  was  70 
cubits  in  height ;  few  men  were  able  to  compass  one  of  its  thumbs  with 
their  arms.  It  was  erected  at  the  entrance  of  one  of  the  ports,  but  the 
statement  that  it  stood  astride  over  the  entrance,  and  that  the  largest  ships 
could  sail  between  its  legs,  is  probably  a  fable.  It  was  overthrown  by  an 
earthquake  in  224  B.C.,  fifty-six  years  after  its  erection.  The  present  town 
of  Rhodes  contains  very  few  remains  of  the  Greek  city. 

273.  Orontes.  The  most  renowned  river  of  Syria.  The  name  is  used 
by  Juvenal  (iii.  62)  for  the  whole  country :  '•  in  Tiberim  defluxit  Orontes." 
A  modern  traveller  says :  "  The  river  is  called  by  the  people  El-^Asi,  the 
rebel,  from  its  refusal  to  water  the  fields  without  the  compulsion  of  water- 
wheels,  according  to  Abulfeda ;  but  more  probably  from  its  occasional 
violence  and  wanderings  during  its  course  of  about  200  miles." 

276.  Dark-red  colonnades.     Built  of  the  red  Egyptian  granite. 

280.  Byrsa.  An  ancient  name  for  Carthage.  According  to  the  story, 
Dido,  the  mythical  founder  of  Carthage,  purchased  from  the  natives,  for 
an  annual  tribute,  as  much  land  as  could  be  covered  with  a  bull's  hide, 

13 


194 


NOTES. 


but  cunningly  cut  the  hide  into  very  thin 
strips  and  so  enclosed  a  space  of  22  sta- 
dia. On  this  she  built  her  city,  which  af- 
terwards, as  the  place  grew,  became  the 
citadel  and  retained  in  its  name  Byrsa 
(fivpaa,  a  bull's  hide)  the  memory  of  the 
bargain.  The  legend  seems  to  have  been 
suggested  by  the  name  Byrsa,  which  was 
really  a  corruption  of  Bosra,  the  Phoe- 
nician name  for  the  citadel  of  the  city. 
See  also  on  lake  Kegillus,  203  above. 
Cf.  jEneid,  i.  367. 

283.  Morning  -  land.  The  Orient,  or 
East. 

285.  Atlas.  The  giant  who  bore  the 
heavens  on  his  shoulders.  According  to 
Homer,  he  knew  the  depths  of  all  the 
sea  and  bore  the  long  columns  that  kept 
asunder  heaven  and  earth.  The  idea  of 
his  being  a  divine  being  with  a  personal 
existence  is  blended  with  the  idea  of  a 
mountain  in  the  Homeric  conception. 
Later  myths  represent  him  as  a  man 
changed  into  a  mountain.  He  stood  in 
northwestern  Africa  near  the  Pillars  of 
Hercules,  where  the  Atlas  mountains  are 
situated.  Cf.  Virgil,  sEneid,  iv.  246 : 


ATLAS   (FARNESE  COLLECTION). 


"  lamque  volans  apicem  et  latera  ardua  cemit 
Atlantis  duri,  caelum  qui  vertice  fulcit, 
Atlantis,  cinctum  adsidue  cui  nubibus  atris 
Piniferum  caput  et  vento  pulsatur  et  imbri ; 
Nix  umeros  ratusa  tegit ;  turn  flumina  mento 
Praecipitant  senis,  et  glacie  riget  borrida  barba." 

Professor  Wilson  (see  on  Horatius,  482  above),  in  closing  his  review 
of  the  Lays,  remarks  :  "  It  is  a  great  merit  of  these  poems  that  they  are 
free  from  ambition  or  exaggeration.  Nothing  seems  overdone — no  taw- 
dry piece  of  finery  disfigures  the  simplicity  of  the  plan  that  has  been 
chosen.  They  seem  to  have  been  framed  with  great  artistic  skill — with 
much  self-denial  and  abstinence  from  anything  incongruous — and  with 
a  very  successful  imitation  of  the  effects  intended  to  be  represented. 
Yet  every  here  and  there  images  of  beauty  and  expressions  of  feeling 
are  thrown  out,  that  are  wholly  independent  of  Rome  or  the  Romans, 
and  that  appeal  to  the  widest  sensibilities  of  the  human  heart.  In  point 
of  homeliness  of  thought  and  language,  there  is  often  a  boldness  which 
none  but  a  man  conscious  of  great  powers  of  writing  would  have  ven- 
tured to  show." 


ADDENDA. 


'95 


ADDENDA. 

THE  TEXT  OF  THE  LAYS. — Macaulay  appears  to  have  made  very  few 
changes  in  the  text  after  the  Lays  were  published.  The  only  one  we  feel 
sure  of,  besides  that  noted  on  Virginia,  437, 438,  is  in  Lake  Regillus,  396, 
where  the  early  eds.  have  "painted  snake."  There  are  several  little  vari- 
ations in  the  successive  eds.  which  are  probably  due  tq  the  printer.  In 
fforatius,  344,  nearly  all  the  eds.  have  "  spears'  lengths  ;"  but  in  Late  Re- 
gillus, 380,  all  that  we  have  examined  read  "  lances'  length."  In  Lake 
Reeilltis,  192,  193,  the  early  eds.  have  "their  right"  and  "Their  leader" 
(cf.  209),  while  some  of  the  later  ones  have  "  the  right "  and  "  The  leader." 
In  Ca^ys,  215,  one  ed.  has  "  On  the  fat  and  on  the  eyes  ;"  but  all  the  oth- 
ers read  as  in  our  text,  which  is  probably  what  Macaulay  wrote.  In  Capys, 
266,  all  the  eds.  read  "  Suppliant's  Grove  ;"  but,  if  the  reference  is  to  the 
Asylum  of  Romulus,  this  is  probably  a  misprint.  We  have  not  met  with 
the  Latin  equivalent  of  Suppliants''  Grave  in  our  reading,  and  suspect  that 
the  name  was  coined  by  Macaulay  for  the  sake  of  the  rhyme.  In  most  of 
the  American  eds.  there  are  many  little  misprints. 

The  Latian  name  (fforatius,  97). — Nomen  Latinum  was  the  name  ap- 
plied by  the  Romans  to  the  colonies  founded  by  Rome  which  did  not  en- 
joy the  rights  of  Roman  citizenship,  and  which  stood  in  the  same  position 
with  regard  to  the  Roman  state  that  had  been  formerly  occupied  by  the 
cities  of  the  Latin  League.  The  name  originated  at  a  time  when  colonies 
were  actually  sent  out  in  common  by  the  Romans  and  the  Latins ;  but 
similar  colonies  continued  to  be  sent  out  by  the  Romans  alone  long  after 
the  extinction  of  the  Latin  League. 

The  Fair  Fount  (Lake  Regillus,  43). — If  Macaulay,  who  is  generally  so 
accurate  in  his  topography  (according  to  the  authorities  of  his  time),  did 
not  imply  that  the  Fair  Fount  was  somewhere  on  the  battle-field  of  Lake 
Regillus,  we  should  suspect  that  he  had  in  mind  the  fountain  on  Horace's 
Sabine  farm,  formerly  supposed  to  be  the  Fons  Bandnsine  (see  on  280), 
and  now  known  as  Fonte  Bella.  Some  of  the  American  eds.  print  this 
line  "  Upon  the  Turf  by  the  Fair  Fount ;" 
but  all  the  English  eds.  have  "  turf." 

Nomen  gentiliciiim  (  note  on  Lake  Re- 
gilhis,  547).  —  In  the  dictionaries  of  an- 
tiquities this  term  is  given  as  a  synonym 
of  "  the  nomen  proper  ;"  but  the  word  gen- 
tiliciutn  is  found  only  in  late  Latin,  and 
rarely  even  there. 

Their  cars  ( Virginia,  263).  —  A  two- 
wheeled  covered  carriage  (carfentnm)  was 
used  to  convey  the  Roman  matrons  in  fes- 
tal processions.  The  privilege  of  riding  in 
a  car  on  such  occasions  was  a  high  distinc- 
tion conferred  on  certain  ladies  by  special 
grant  of  the  senate.  The  vehicle  was  com- 
monly drawn  by  a  pair  of  mules,  but  some-  CARFBNTUM  (FROM  A  MEDAL  OF 
times  by  oxen  or  horses.  AGKIPPINA). 


196  XOTES. 

The  serpent  for  a  hand  (Capys,  204).— The  passages  from  Lucretius  re- 
ferred to  by  Macaulay  (p.  182,  footnote),  read  as  follows  (ji.  S36)  : 

"Sicut  quadripedum  cum  primis  esse  videmus 
In  genere  anguimanus  elephamos,  India  quorum 
Mihbus  e  multis  vallo  munitur  eburno, 
Ut  penitus  nequeat  penetrari :  tanta  feranim 
Vis  est,  quarum  nos  perpauca  exampla  videmus." 


and  (v.  1302) : 


'  Inde  boves  lucas  turrito  corpore,  taetras, 
Anguimanus,  belli  docuerunt  volnera  Poem 
Sufferre  et  magnas  Martis  turbare  catervas. 


Manias  Curias  (Cafys,  249).— Cf.  Cicero,  De  Senecttite,  16.  55  :  "  Ergo 
in  hac  [rustica]  vita  M.'  Curius,  cum  de  Samnitibus,  de  Sabims,  de  Pyrrho 
triumphavisset,  consumpsit  extremum  tempus  aetatis;  cuius  quidem  ego 
villam  contemplans,  abest  enim  non  longe  a  me,  admiran  satis  non  pos- 
sum vel  hominis  ipsius  continentiam  vel  temporum  disciphnam. 
ad  focum  sedenti  magnum  auri  pondus  Samnitescum  attulissent  repucliati 
sunt ;  non  enim  aurum  habere  praeclarum  sibi  videri  dixit,  sed  eis  qui  ha- 
berent  aurum  imperare." 


ALBAN   HILLS. 


INDEX  OF  WORDS  AND  PHRASES 
EXPLAINED. 


jEbutius  Elva,  152. 

Adria,  150,  163,  179. 

ag e r  jiuMi'cus,  136,  141. 

Alba  Longa,  177,  183. 

Alban  kings,  177,  183. 

Alba's  lake,  184. 

Alban  Mount,  185. 

Albinia,  139. 

Algidus,  142. 

Alvernus,  140. 

alway,  126,  172. 

amain,  122. 

Amulius,  183. 

ancilia,  126,  163. 

angle  (=fishing-hook),  151. 

Anio,  154. 

Anxur,  164. 

Apennine,  150. 

Apulia,  156. 

Arabia  (perfumes  of),  186. 

Ardea,  162. 

Aricia,  153,  164. 

Arpinum,  164. 

Arretium,  125- 

Aruns,  138. 

as  (=as  if),  159. 

askance,  172. 

Astur,  130. 

Asylum  (of  Romulus),  166, 

191. 

Atlas.  191. 
Aufidtis,  160. 
augurs,  140,  173. 
Aunus,  137. 
Auser,  124. 
Auster,  157. 
Aventinus,  184. 
axes  (=lictors),  172. 

Bandusia's  flock,  157. 

bare  (=bore),  158. 

bare  bravely  up  his  chin.  141. 

battle  (=army),  160,  163. 

bestrode  his  sire,  158. 

brake,  157. 

brand  (--swordl,  134,  173- 

burghers,  129. 

Byrsa,  193. 


Casso,  158. 

caitiff,  173. 

Caius  of  Corioli,  179. 

Calabria,  157,  180. 

calends,  149. 

Camerium,  152. 

Gamers,  184. 

Campania,  139,  160,  187. 

Capitolian  Jove,  192. 

captain  of  the  gate,  135. 

Capua  (luxury  of),  160,  177. 

Capys,  185. 

car  (=guaJr-i£fa),  176. 

Carthage,  155, 187,  193. 

case,  evil,  141. 

Castor  in  the  Forum,  148. 

Celtic  plain,  163. 

champ,  124. 

champaign,  128. 

Cilnius,  133. 

Ciminian  hill,  124. 

Circzan  promontory,  153. 

Cirrha,  150. 

city  of  two  kings,  150. 

civic  crown,  1 78. 

Clanis,  124. 

Claudius,  haughtiest,  175. 

clients,  158,  172. 

Clitumnus,  125. 

Cloaca  Maxima,  177. 

clove  (=cleft),  138. 

Clusium,  121. 

cohorts,  176. 

Colossus  of  Rhodes,  193. 

column  by  minstrel  sung,  173. 

comitium,  141,  149. 

Commons,  136. 

Conscript  Fathers,  152. 

constant  (=firm),  140. 

consul,  131,  151. 

consular  of  Rome,  159. 

Cora,  153,  163. 

Corinth,  192. 

Corinthian  mirrors,  177. 

Corne's  oaks,  151. 

corn-land  (public),  141. 
j  corselet,  157. 
,  Cortona,  124. 


Cosa,  139. 
Cossus,  159,  179. 
couched  (a  spear),  162. 
cunning  (=skill),  190. 
curule  chair,  176. 
crafts,  179. 
crest,  133. 

crow  (= crow-bar),  136. 
Crustumerium,  129. 
cypress  crown,  179. 
Cyrene,  161. 

dark-red  colonnades,  193. 

December's  nones,  150. 

Decemvirs,  171. 

deed  of  shame,  the,  135. 

deftly,  139. 

Dei  Novensiles,  122. 

Dictator,  152. 

Digentian  rock,  157. 

Dioscuri,  the,  150. 

dog-star  heat,  177. 

Dorians,  166. 

earth-shaking  beast,  189. 
elms(for  training  vines),  158. 
Epirotes,  189. 
equites,  148. 
Ktruria,  122. 
Etruria's  colleges,  165. 
Etruscan,  122. 
Eurotas,  the,  162. 
eyry,  152. 

Fabian  pride,  175. 
Fabian  race,  158,  179. 
Fair  Fount,  the,  151. 
fair-haired  (Gauls),  124,  189. 
Falerii,  138. 
false  Sextus,  135,  155. 
false  sons  (of  Brutus),  174. 
fast  by,  135. 
Father  Tiber,  140. 
Fathers  of  the  city,  129. 
Ferentinum,  155. 
Fidena;,  157. 
fillets.  175,  185. 
tlesher,  173. 


198 


INDEX  OF  WORDS  AND  PHRASES. 


folk,  128. 

Lausulus,  138. 

plebeians,  136. 

forum,  149.                                i  Lavinium,  155. 

Po,  the,  160,  163. 

fountains  running  wine,  171.   lay  on,  160. 

polling,  summons  to,  175. 

fourfold  shield,  133. 

leech,  178. 

Pomona,  186. 

fox-earth,  175. 

leech-craft,  176. 

Pomptine  Marshes,  156. 

Furies,  160. 

legion,  187. 

Pans  sublicius,  133,  164. 

Furius,  179. 

Liber,  186. 

pontifex  maxitmis,  164. 

lictors,  147. 

Populonia,  122. 

Gabii,  151,  155,  159. 

litters,  128. 

porches,  179. 

garner,  186. 

Luceres,  135. 

Porcian  height,  151,  152. 

girded  up  their  gowns.  132. 

lucre,  1  86. 

Porsena,  121. 

goblets  rough  with  gold,  190. 
golden  shields,  126,  163. 

Lucumo,  133,  189. 
Luna,  126,  139. 

port  (=  bearing),  133. 
Posthumian  race,  151. 

goodman,  142. 

potsherds,  179. 

gown  washed   white,  181, 
190. 

mag-isier  eqvitum,  152 
maids  with  snaky  tresses, 

press  (=crowd),  179. 
pricking  (=spurring),  166. 

grace  (=mercy),  140. 

171. 

Punic,  173. 

Great  Twin  Brethren,  166. 

Mamilius,  127,  155. 

purple  gown,  176. 

Greeks,  lying,  172. 

Marcian  fury,  175. 

Pyrrhus,  189. 

mart,  123. 

Hadria,  130. 

Mars  without  the  wall,  149, 

Quinctius,  fiercest,  175. 

hamlet,  122. 

1  66. 

Quintilis,  149. 

harness  (  =  armor),  136. 

Martian  calends,  149. 

Quirinus,  163. 

hearth  of  Vesta,  163. 

Massilia,  124. 

Quirites,  174. 

helm  (=helmet),  158. 

mere  (=lake),  125. 

quoth,  141. 

Herminia,  160. 

Metius,  164. 

Herminius.  135,  157. 

molten  image  (of  Horatius), 

Ramnes,  135. 

high  pontiff,  164. 

141. 

Ramnian,  135. 

hinds  (=peasants),  139. 
hold  (=fortress),  122. 

month  of  wail,  173. 
Morning-land,  194. 

Red  King,  the,  190. 
Regillus,  Lake,  150. 

holes  for  free-born  feet,  177. 

mound  (—agptr),  187. 

Rex,  159. 

holy  maidens,  135. 

must  (=new  wine),  126. 

Rhodes,  192. 

Horatius,  135. 

muster,  127. 

ribands,  160. 

house  (=temple),  161. 

myrrh,  186. 

rill,  124. 

house  that  loves  the  people, 

River-Gate,  the,  132. 

159. 

Nar,  138. 

Rome's   whitest   day,  150, 

Nemi,  Lake  Of,  153. 

152,  166. 

ides,  149. 

Nequmum,  138. 

roundly,  132. 

Ilva,  138. 

nether,  179. 

lulus,  159. 

Nine  Gods,  the,  122. 

Sacred  Hill,  the,  149,  175. 

ivory  car,  135. 

noisome,  176. 

Sacred  Street,  the,  172. 

ivory  moonlight,  187. 

Nomentum,  163. 

sailors  turned  to  swine,  171. 

I  wis,  131. 

nones,  150. 

Saint  Elmo's  fire,  166. 

Norba,  153. 

Salii,  127,  164. 

Janiculum,  130. 

Nurscia,  126. 

Samnites,  189. 

judgment-seat,  179. 

Samothracia,  160. 

Julian  line,  159. 
Juno,  142,  159,  163. 

Ocnus,  138. 
Orontes,  193. 

Scaevola,  175. 
sceptre,  152. 

Juturna,  lake  of,  166. 

Ostia,  130. 

school  (in  forum),  172. 

scrolls  (=booki),  187. 

Kzso,  158. 

Palatinus,  140. 

sea-marks,  180. 

kine,  128. 

Pales,  186. 

Seius,  137. 

knees  loosened  by  fear,  160. 

panniers,  173. 

Senate,  131. 

knights  (requites),  148. 

Parthenius,  ijo. 
I'atref  Conscript:,  129,  152. 

sewer,  the  great,  1  77. 
Sextus  Tarquinius,  135,  155. 

Lacedaemon,  150. 

Pedum,  155. 

shambles,  177. 

Lanuvium,  163. 

Picus,  138. 

sheaf  of  twigs,  179. 

Lars,  121. 

pila  Horatia,  174. 

sherd,  179. 

Lartia  gens,  135. 

pilum,  187. 

she-wolf's  litter,  139. 

Latin  Gate,  179. 

Pincian  Hill,  179. 

Sidon,  186- 

Laurentian  jungle,  154. 

Pisae,  124. 

sightless  seer,  185. 

Laurentum,  154. 

play  the  men,  1  59. 

Sir  Consul,  133. 

INDEX  OF  WORDS  AND  PHRASES. 


199 


skins  of  wine,  128. 

Soracte,  156. 

Spanish  gold,  177. 

sped,  140. 

spoils  fairly  sold,  136- 

Spurius  Lartius,  135. 

stone  that  breathes,  190. 

strait,  135. 

Sublician  Bridge,  133,  164. 

Suppliants'  Grove,  191. 

Sutrium,  127. 

sword  (Roman),  187. 

Sylvian  line,  183. 

Syracuse,  161. 

Syria's  daughters,  155. 

tablets,  172. 
tale  (=number),  127. 
Tarentum,  161,  190. 
targe,  156. 
Tarpeian  rock,  128. 
Tartessian  mine,  186. 
Terracina,  164. 
Thirty  Cities,  the,  151. 
Thrasymene,  134. 
Thunder-cape,  the,  180. 
Tiber,  Father,  140. 
Tiber,  the  yellow,  127, 149. 


Tibur,  155. 

Tifernum,  137. 

Titian,  136. 

Titles,  135. 

Titus,  the  youngest    Tar- 

quin,  156. 
toga  picta,  191. 
Tolumnius,  134. 
traced  from  the  right,  126. 
trembled  (from  inspiration), 

185. 

tribunes,  136,  168,  171. 
triremes,  124. 
triumph,  188. 
trysting-day,  122. 
Tubero,  158. 
Tusculum,  127,  151,  153. 

Ufens,  153. 
Umbrp,  126. 
Umbria,  133. 
Urgo,  138. 
usance,  176. 

vail  0=lower),  188. 
Valerian  gens,  159. 
varlet,  172. 
Venus,  187. 


Velian  hill,  159. 
Velitras,  154. 
Verbenna,  130. 
verses  (=predictions),  126. 
vest  (= dress),  133. 
Vesta,  163,  1 66. 
Vestal  Virgins,  135. 
vines  (on  trees),  158,  186. 
Virginius,  15:. 
Volscians,  142,  155. 
Volsinian  mere,  125. 
Volsinium,  138. 
Vulso,  164. 

wan,  129. 

ween,  141. 

what  time,  151. 

whitest  day,  150,  152,  166. 

whittle  (=knife),  178. 

wist,  159. 

Witch's  Fortress,  the,  153. 

Wolf  of  the  Capitol,  139. 

year  of  sore  sickness,  173. 
yellow  Tiber,  the,  127,  149. 
yeomen,  159. 
yore,  126. 
ywis,  131. 


JUPITER. 


[From  rlhe  Popular  Educator,  June,  1887.] 

SCHOOL  COURSES  IN  SHAKESPEARE. 

BY  W.  J.  ROLFE,  A.M.,  Litt.D. 


What  plays  of  Shakespeare  are  to  be  recommended  for  school 
use,  and  in  what  order  should  they  be  taken  up  ?  These  are  ques- 
tions often  addressed  to  me  by  teachers,  and  I  will  attempt  to  answer 
them  briefly  here. 

Of  the  thirty-seven  (or  thirty-eight,  if  we  include  the  Two  Noblt 
Kinsmen)  plays  in  the  standard  editions  of  Shakespeare,  twenty  at 
least  are  suitable  for  use  in  "  mixed  "  schools.  Among  the  "  come- 
dies "  are  The  Merchant  of  Venice,  A  Midsummer-Night's  Dream,  Ax 
You  Like  It,  Twelfth  NigJit,  Much  Ado  About  Nothing,  Tfie  Tempest, 
The  Winter's  Tale,  and  The  Taming  of  the  Shrew;  among  the  "trage- 
dies," Macbeth,  Hamlet,  Lear,  and  Romeo  and  Juliet ;  and  among  th<! 
historical  plays,  Julius  Ccesar,  Coriolamis,  King  John,  Richard  II., 
Henry  IV.,  Part  1,  Henry  V.,  Richard  III.,  Henry  VIII. 

Certain  plays,  like  Cymbeliue,  Othello,  and  Antony  and  Cleopatra, 
are  not,  in  my  opinion,  to  be  commended  for  "  mixed  "  schools  or 
classes,  but  may  be  used  in  others  at  the  discretion  of  the  teacher. 

If  but  one  play  is  read,  my  own  choice  would  be  Merchant  of 
Venice;  except  for  classical  schools,  where  Julius  Ccesar  is  to  be 
preferred.  Most  of  the  leading  colleges  now  require  one  or  more 
plays  of  Shakespeare  as  part  of  the  preparation  in  English,  and 
Julius  Ccesar  is  almost  invariably  included  for  every  year.  Harvard-, 
for  instance,  requires  Julius  Ccesar  and  Twelfth  Night  for  1888,  and 
Julius  Ccesar  and  As  You  Like  It  for  1889  ;  and  the  requirements 
for  these  years  are  the  same  at  Amherst,  Dartmouth,  Trinity,  Tuft?, 
Brown,  and  Wcslcyan  University.  Probably  Williams  and  the  Bos- 

1 


ton  University  (whose  last  catalogues  I  have  not  seen)  also  follow 
Harvard  in  this  respect,  as  they  have  done  in  former  years. 

If  two  plays  can  be  read,  the  Merchant  and  Julius  Ccesar  may  he 
commended ;  or  either  of  these  with  As  You  Like  It,  or  with  Macbeth, 
if  a  tragedy  is  desired.  Macbeth  is  the  shortest  of  the  great  trage- 
dies (only  a  trifle  more  than  half  the  length  of  Hamlet,  for  instance), 
and  seems  to  me  unquestionably  the  best  for  an  ordinary  school 
course. 

For  a  selection  of  three  plays,  we  may  take  the  Merchant  (or  Julius 
Ccesar),  As  You  Like  It  (or  Twelfth  Night,  or  Much  Ado, — the  other 
two  of  the  trio  of  "  Sunny  or  Sweet-Time  Comedies,"  as  Fumivall 
calls  them),  and  Macbeth.  An  English  historical  play  (King  John, 
Richard  II.,  Henry  IV.,  Part  1,  or  Henry  V.)  may  be  substituted  for 
the  comedy,  if  preferred ;  and  Hamlet  for  Macbeth,  if  time  permits 
and  the  teacher  chooses.  As  I  have  said,  Hamlet  is  about  twice  as 
long  as  Macbeth,  and  should  have  at  least  treble  the  time  devoted  to 
it.  For  myself,  I  have  rarely  ventured  to  read  Hamlet  with  a  class  of 
average  quality. 

If  a  fourth  play  is  wanted,  add  The  Tempest  to  the  list.  Macbeth 
and  The  Tempest  together  (4061  lines,  as  given  in  the  "Globe"  edi- 
tion) are  but  little  longer  than  Hamlet  (3929  lines),  and  can  be  read 
in  less  time  than  the  latter. 

For  &  fifth  play  Hamlet,  Lear,  or  Coriolanus  may  be  taken ;  or,  if 
a  shorter  and  lighter  play  is  preferred,  the  Midsummer-Night's  Dream. 
In  a  course  of  five  plays,  I  should  myself  put  this  first,  as  a  specimen 
of  the  dramatist's  early  work.  For  a  course  of  five  plays  arranged 
with  special  reference  to  the  illustration  of  Shakespeare's  career  as 
a  writer,  the  following  may  be  commended :  A  Midsummer-Night'1  s 
Dream  (early  comedy) ;  Richard  II.,  Henry  IV.,  Part  1,  or  Henry  V. 
(English  historical  period) ;  As  You  Like  It,  Twelfth  Night,  or  Much 
Ado  (later  comedy) ;  Macbeth,  Hamlet,  or  Lear  (period  of  the  great 
tragedies);  and  The  Tempest  or  The  Winter's  Tale  (the  latest  plays, 
or  "  romances,"  as  Dowden  aptly  terms  them). 

For  a  series  of  sit  plays,  following  this  chronological  order,  instead 
of  one  English  historical  play  take  two :  Richard  HI.,  Richard  II., 
or  King  John  (earlier  history,  1593-1595),  and  Henry  IV.,  Part  1, 
or  Henry  V.  (later  history,  or  "  history  and  comedy  united,"  1597- 
1599). 

2 


I  may  remark  here  incidentally  that  Richard  III.  is  a  favorite  with 
many  teachers  in  a  course  of  three  or  four  plays ;  but,  for  myself,  I 
should  never  take  it  up  unless  in  a  course  of  six  or  more,  and  only 
as  an  example  of  Shakespeare's  earliest  work — not  later  than  1693. 
...  As  Oechelhauser  puts  it,  "  Richard  III.  is  the  significant  bound- 
ary-stone which  separates  the  works  of  Shakespeare's  youth  from  the 
immortal  works  of  the  period  of  his  fuller  splendor."  As  such,  it 
has  a  certain  historical  interest  to  the  student  of  his  literary  career ; 
but  this  seems  to  me  its  only  claim  to  attention.  I  am  not  disposed, 
however,  to  quarrel  with  those  who  think  otherwise. 

To  return  to  our  courses  of  reading.  For  a  series  of  seven  plays,  I 
would  insert  in  the  above  chronological  list  either  Romeo  and  Juliet 
(early  tragedy)  before  "  early  history,"  or  the  Merchant  (middle  come- 
dy) after  "  early  history ;"  and  for  a  series  of  eight  plays  I  would  in- 
clude both  these. 

Henry  VIII.  can  be  added  to  any  of  the  longer  series  as  a  very  late 
play,  of  which  Shakespeare  wrote  only  a  part,  and  which  was  com- 
pleted by  Fletcher.  The  Taming  of  the  Shrew  may  be  mentioned 
incidentally  as  an  earlier  play  that  is  interesting  as  being  Shake- 
speare's only  in  part. 

In  closing,  let  me  commend  the  Sonnets  as  well  adapted  to  give 
variety  to  any  extended  course  in  Shakespeare.  They  are  not  known 
to  teachers,  or  to  cultivated  people  generally,  as  they  should  be.  In 
my  own  experience  as  a  teacher  I  have  found  that  young  people 
always  get  interested  in  these  poems,  if  their  attention  is  once  called 
to  them.  This  past  year  I  gave  one  of  my  classes  an  informal  talk 
on  the  Sonnets,  merely  to  fill  an  hour  for  which  there  was  no  regular 
work,  owing  to  an  unexpected  delay  in  getting  copies  of  the  play  we 
were  about  to  begin.  Some  months  afterwards,  when  I  asked  the 
class  what  play  they  would  select  for  our  next  reading  if  the  choice 
were  left  to  them,  several  of  the  girls  asked  if  we  could  not  take  up 
the  Sonnets,  and  the  request  was  endorsed  by  a  large  majority.  We 
gave  about  the  same  time  to  them  as  to  a  play,  and  I  have  never  had 
a  more  enjoyable  or,  so  far  as  I  could  judge,  a  more  profitable  series 
of  lessons  with  a  class. 


ENGLISH  CLASSICS. 

EDITED  BY  WM.  J.  ROLFE,  A.M. 

Illustrated.     i6mo,  Cloth,  56  cents  per  vol. ;  Paper,  40 
cents  per  vol. 


SHAKESPEARE'S  WORKS: 

The  Merchant  of  Venice. — The  Tempest. — King  Henry 
the  Eighth. — Julius  Caesar. — King  Richard  the  Second. 
—Othello. — Macbeth.— Romeo  and  Juliet. — A  Midsum- 
mer-Night's Dream. — King  Richard  the  Third. — King 
Henry  the  Fifth. —  Hamlet. —  As  You  Like  It. — Much 
Ado  About  Nothing.— Twelfth  Night.— The  Winter's 
Tale. — King  John. — King  Henry  the  Fourth.  Part  I. 
— King  Henry  the  Fourth.  Part  II.— King  Lear.— The 
Taming  of  the  Shrew.— All  's  Well  that  Ends  Well.— 
Coriolanus. — The  Comedy  of  Errors. — Cymbeline. — An- 
tony and  Cleopatra.  —  Measure  for  Measure.  —  Merry 
Wives  of  Windsor. — Love's  Labour  's  Lost. — Two  Gen- 
tlemen of  Verona.  —  Timon  of  Athens.  —  Troilus  and 
Cressida. — King  Henry  the  Sixth.  Part  I. — King  Henry 
the  Sixth.  Part  II. — King  Henry  the  Sixth.  Part  III. 
— Pericles,  Prince  of  Tyre. — The  Two  Noble  Kinsmen. 
— Poems. — Sonnets. — Titus  Andronicus. 

GOLDSMITH'S  SELECT  POEMS. 
GRAY'S  SELECT  POEMS. 

ROBERT  BROWNING'S  A  BLOT  IN  THE  'SCUTCH- 
EON, AND  OTHER  DRAMAS. 
ROBERT  BROWNING'S  SELECT  POEMS. 
MILTON'S  MINOR  POEMS. 
MACAULAY'S  LAYS  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 


PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 

'  Any  of  the  above  works  will  be  sent  by  mail,  postage  prepaid,  to  any  part 
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THOMAS  GRAY. 

SELECT  POEMS  OF  THOMAS  GRAY.  Edited,  with 
Notes,  by  WILLIAM  J.  ROLFE,  A.M.,  formerly  Head 
Master  of  the  High  School,  Cambridge,  Mass.  Illus- 
trated. Square  i6mo,  Paper,  40  cents  ;  Cloth,  56  cents. 
(Uniform  with  Rolfe's  Shakespeare^) 


Mr.  Rolfe  has  done  his  work  in  a  manner  that  comes  as  near  to  per- 
fection as  man  can  approach.  He  knows  his  subject  so  well  that  he  is 
competent  to  instruct  all  in  it ;  and  readers  will  find  an  immense  amount 
of  knowledge  in  his  elegant  volume,  all  set  forth  in  the  most  admirable 
order,  and  breathing  the  most  liberal  and  enlightened  spirit,  he  being  a 
warm  appreciator  of  the  divinity  of  genius. — Boston  Traveller. 

The  great  merit  of  these  books  lies  in  their  carefully  edited  text,  and  in 
the  fulness  of  their  explanatory  notes.  Mr.  Rolfe  is  not  satisfied  with 
simply  expounding,  but  he  explores  the  entire  field  of  English  literature, 
and  therefrom  gathers  a  multitude  of  illustrations  that  are  interesting  in 
themselves  and  valuable  as  a  commentary  on  the  text.  He  not  only  in- 
structs, but  stimulates  his  readers  to  fresh  exertion  ;  and  it  is  this  stimu- 
lation that  makes  his  labor  so  productive  in  the  school-room. — Saturday 
Evening  Gazette,  Boston. 

Mr.  William  J.  Rolfe,  to  whom  English  literature  is  largely  indebted 
for  annotated  and  richly  illustrated  editions  of  several  of  Shakespeare's 
Plays,  has  treated  the  "  Select  Poems  of  Thomas  Gray  "  in  the  same  way 
— just  as  he  had  previously  dealt  with  the  best  of  Goldsmith's  poems. — 
Philadelphia  Press. 

Mr.  Rolfe's  edition  of  Thomas  Gray's  select  poems  is  marked  by  the 
same  discriminating  taste  as  his  other  classics. — Springfield  Republican. 

Mr.  Rolfe's  rare  abilities  as  a  teacher  and  his  fine  scholarly  tastes  ena- 
ble him  to  prepare  a  classic  like  this  in  the  best  manner  for  school  use. 
There  could  be  no  better  exercise  for  the  advanced  classes  in  our  schools 
than  the  critical  study  of  our  best  authors,  and  the  volumes  that  Mr.  Rolfe 
has  prepared  will  hasten  the  time  when  the  study  of  mere  form  will  give 
place  to  the  study  of  the  spirit  of  our  literature. — Louisville  Courier- 
Journal. 

An  elegant  and  scholarly  little  volume. — Christian  Intelligencer,  N.  Y. 


PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 

Sent  I'y  mail,  postage  prepaid,  to  any  fart  of  the  United  States  or  Canada,  on 
receipt  of  the  price. 


ROBERT   BROWNING. 

SELECT  POEMS  OF  ROBERT  BROWNING.  Edited, 
with  Notes,  by  WILLIAM  J.  ROLFE,  A.M.,  formerly  Head 
Master  of  the  High  School,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  HEL- 
OISE  E.  HERSEY.  Illustrated.  i6mo,  Paper,  40  cents  ; 
Cloth,  56  cents.  (Uniform  with  Rolfe's  Shakespeare^) 


Probably  no  critic  yet  has  gone  to  the  heart  of  Browning's  true  signifi- 
cance as  does  Miss  Hersey.  There  is  something  in  the  fineness  of  her 
insight  and  her  subtle,  spiritual  sympathy  that  truly  interprets  him,  while 
others  write  in  a  more  or  less  scholarly  manner  about  him.  Miss  Her- 
sey's  work  indicates  the  blending  of  two  exceptional  qualities — the  po- 
etic sympathy  and  the  critical  judgments.  She  feels  intuitively  all  the 
poet's  subtle  meanings  ;  she  is  responsible  to  them  by  virtue  of  temper- 
ament ;  yet  added  to  this  is  the  critical  faculty,  keen,  logical,  and  con- 
structive.— Boston  Traveller. 

To  say  that  the  selections  have  been  made  by  Mr.  Rolfe  is  to  say  that 
they  have  not  only  been  made  by  a  careful  and  accurate  scholar,  but  by 
a  man  of  pure  and  beautiful  taste.  .  .  .  The  Notes,  which  fill  some 
thirty  pages,  are  admirable  in  their  scope  and  brevity. — N.  Y.  Mail  and 
Express. 

We  can  conscientiously  say  that  both  the  arrangement  of  the  selec- 
tions and  the  fulness,  as  well  as  the  illuminating  character,  of  the  anno- 
tations are  all  that  the  most  exacting  taste  could  require  ;  and  the  whole 
work  is  well  fitted  to  charm  the  poet's  established  admirers,  and  to 
awaken  in  others  who  have  not  been  among  these  a  new  sense  of 
Browning's  strength  and  beauty  as  a  writer. — Hartford  Times. 

The  "  Select  Poems  of  Robert  Browning  "  is  a  marvel  of  industrious 
editing,  wise,  choice,  and  excellent  judgment  in  comment.  .  .  .  An  intro- 
duction, a  brief  account  of  Browning's  life  and  works,  a  chronological 
table  of  his  works,  and  a  series  of  extracted  critical  comments  on  the 
poet,  precede  the  series  of  selections.  Besides  these  there  are  at  the  end 
of  the  book  very  extensive,  valuable,  and  minutely  illustrative  notes,  to- 
gether with  addenda  supplied  by  Browning  himself  on  points  which  the 
editors  were  unable  fully  to  clear  up. — N.  Y.  Star. 


PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS  will  send  the  above  work  by  ntail,  postage  pre/>aid,  to  any 
fart  of  the  United  States  or  Canada,  OH  receipt  of  the  price. 


ROBERT    BROWNING. 

A  BLOT  IN  THE  'SCUTCHEON  AND  OTHER  DRA- 
MAS. By  ROBERT  BROWNING.  Edited,  with  notes,  by 
WILLIAM  J.  ROLFE,  A.M.,  and  HELOISE  E.  HERSEY. 
With  Portrait.  i6mo,  Paper,  40  cents  ;  Cloth,  56  cents. 
(  Uniform  with  Rolfe  's  Shakespeare.) 


Prepared  in  the  same  thorough  manner  as  the  previous  volume  upon 
the  Select  Poems  of  the  same  author  and  the  numerous  manuals  of  Mr. 
Rolfe.  No  poet  needs,  for  the  average  reader,  such  an  'interpretation 
as  is  here  given  more  than  Browning.  Read  carefully,  with  reference  to 
the  notes  of  the  editors,  the  richness  of  the  great  poet's  thoughts  and 
fancies  will  be  the  better  apprehended.  — Zioti's  Herald,  Boston. 

Out  of  the  eight  dramas  which  the  poet  wrote  between  1837  and  1845 
the  three  most  characteristic  ones  have  been  selected,  and  a  full  idea  of 
his  dramatic  power  may  be  gained  from  them.  A  synopsis  of  critical 
opinions  of  Mr.  Browning's  works  is  included  in  the  volume.  The  same 
careful  scholarship  that  marked  Professor  Rolfe's  editions  of  Shakespeare 
is  shown  in  this  edition  of  Browning.  The  lovers  of  the  poet  will  be 
pleased  to  have  old  favorites  in  this  attractive  form,  while  many  new 
readers  will  be  attracted  to  the  author  by  it.  Robert  Browning  will  fill 
a  larger  space  in  the  world's  eye  in  the  future  than  he  has  done  already. 
— Brooklyn  Union. 

The  introduction  and  notes  are  all  that  could  be  desired. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

The  book  itself  is  not  only  a  compact  compilation  of  the  three  plays, 
but  it  is  valuable  for  the  commentatory  notes.  The  editing  work  has 
been  done  in  an  able  manner  by  Professor  Rolfe  and  Miss  Hersey,  who 
has  gained  a  high  place  among  the  modern  Browning  students. — Phila- 
delphia Bulletin. 

This  dainty  volume,  with  flexible  covers  and  red  edges,  contains  not 
merely  Browning's  dramas.with  the  author's  latest  emendations  and  cor- 
rections, but  notes  and  estimates,  critical  and  explanatory,  in  such  vol 
ume,  and  from  sources  so  exalted,  that  we  have  not  the  temerity  to  add 
one  jot  or  tittle  to  the  aggregate. — N.  V.  Commercial  Advertiser. 


PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS  will  send  the  above  work  by  mail,  postage  prepaid,  to  an) 
tart  of  the  United  States  or  Canada,  on  receipt  of^the  price. 


OLIVER  GOLDSMITH. 

SELECT  POEMS  OF  OLIVER  GOLDSMITH.  Edited, 
with  Notes,  by  WILLIAM  J.  ROLFE,  A.M.,  formerly  Head 
Master  of  the  High  School,  Cambridge,  Mass.  Illus- 
trated. i6mo,  Paper,  40  cents  ;  Cloth,  56  cents.  (Uni- 
form with  Rolfe' s  Shakespeare^) 


The  carefully  arranged  editions  of  "  The  Merchant  of  Venice  "  and 
other  of  Shakespeare's  plays  prepared  by  Mr.  William  J.  Rolfe  for  the 
use  of  students  will  be  remembered  with  pleasure  by  many  readers,  and 
they  will  welcome  another  volume  of  a  similar  character  from  the  same 
source,  in  the  form  of  the  ''  Select  Poems  of  Oliver  Goldsmith,"  edited 
with  nofes  fuller  than  those  of  any  other  known  edition,  many  of  them 
original  with  the  editor. — Boston  Transcript. 

Mr.  Rolfe  is  doing  very  useful  work  in  the  preparation  of  compact 
hand-books  for  study  in  English  literature.  His  own  personal  culture 
and  his  long  experience  as  a  teacher  give  him  good  knowledge  of  what 
is  wanted  in  this  way. —  The  Congregationalist,  Boston. 

Mr.  Rolfe  has  prefixed  to  the  Poems  selections  illustrative  of  Gold- 
smith's character  as  a  man,  and  grade  as  a  poet,  from  sketches  by  Ma- 
caulay,  Thackeray,  George  Colman,  Thomas  Campbell,  John  Forster, 
and  Washington  Irving.  He  has  also  appended  at  the  end  of  the 
volume  a  body  of  scholarly  notes  explaining  and  illustrating  the  poems, 
and  dealing  with  the  times  in  which  they  were  written,  as  well  as  the 
incidents  and  circumstances  attending  their  composition.  —  Christian 
Intelligencer,  N.  Y. 

The  notes  are  just  and  discriminating  in  tone,  and  supply  all  that  is 
necessary  either  for  understanding  the  thought  of  the  several  poems,  or 
for  a  critical  study  of  the  language.  The  use  of  such  books  in  the  school- 
room cannot  but  contribute  largely  towards  putting  the  study  of  English 
literature  upon  a  sound  basis  ;  and  many  an  adult  reader  would  find  in 
the  present  volume  an  excellent  opportunity  for  becoming  critically  ac- 
quainted with  one  of  the  greatest  of  last  century's  poets. — Appletotf* 
Journal,  N.  Y. 


PUBLISHED  BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 

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THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF 

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